A pan-India report titled 'State of Healthcare in Rural India - 2023' by the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU) shows that 73% of Indians in northeastern states with non-communicable diseases migrate to other states for treatment. The report provides insights into challenges and opportunities for transforming rural healthcare delivery, involving 6,478 respondents across 20 states. The survey represents a diverse range of rural communities in India.

India's health and wellness industry has grown in the past decade, with a booming domestic medical tourism industry. However, 63% of Indians with non-communicable diseases (NCD) choose to migrate to other states for better healthcare services. The north-east has the highest percentage of NCD treatments, followed by Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The West, South, and East have the lowest percentages, with 29.2%, 28.8%, and 27.7%, respectively.

Shyamal Santra, Associate Director of Public Health and Nutrition at Transform Rural India, said -

“Echoing the experiences and expectations shared by the people living in Rural India, it is evident that there are no alternatives to improved, modernised and transformed healthcare services at primary level with a specific focus on under-developed regions to improve patient satisfaction and reducing the need of long-distance travel for treatment.

The compulsion of travel in the quest for quality medical treatment adds emotional and financial stress to the patients and their families. By adopting a ‘whole of system, whole of society’ approach to offer ‘state of the art’ infrastructure and quality services locally, we can alleviate the burden on patients and make healthcare more inclusive and equitable across the country.

Simultaneously careful attention is required on trust-building efforts within local healthcare eco-systems (bringing innovations, start-ups, public, private, etc) and communities to create a conducive environment for patients to access comprehensive care services within locality.”

The Development Intelligence Unit (DIU) launched this report at the India Rural Colloquy 2023 in Delhi. The event, featuring well over 100 thought leaders in development, culture, business, and beyond, conducted over two dozen conversations in four Indian cities. The aim was to bring people together to find actionable solutions to the challenges facing rural India, making it an unusual event that included on-the-ground voices from those directly involved in rural development.