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| The burden falls heaviest on India's poorest, a group that last year increased by an additional 230 million Indians, according to researchers at Azim Premji University. More than 90% borrowed a median amount of $201 to pay off debts. (Photo by= Getty Images) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] During a deadly second Covid wave, hospitalizations increased in India Now, hobbled by patchy insurance, Indians are turning to crowdfund to pay the steep medical bills, reports Astha Rajvanshi, BBC said.
Supraja Reddy Yeruva was unable to breathe properly for days after giving birth to her second child in June. Her husband, Vijaya Yeruva, an engineer with a monthly income of $2,960 is struggling to pay a hefty medical bill of nearly 6m rupees (£58,636; $80,615) for his wife's treatment. Mr Yeruva said he never imagined asking strangers for money. After exhausting every other option, the 35-year-old turned to Ketto, a crowdfunding platform, and launched a fundraiser.
Many have turned to crowdfund to foot the hospital bills and it has quickly emerged as a substitute for health insurance and government support. Experts said three of the biggest crowdfunding sites: Ketto, Milaap, and Give India, have collectively raised around$161m with the help of 2.7 million donors during the pandemic. There's no data on how many more were pushed to financial ruin by medical debt during the pandemic, but a preliminary study by the Duke Global Health Institute and the PHFI estimates that two-thirds of India's self-employed and half of its salaried workforce could not afford to pay for critical care.
