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People living in rural areas suffer from poor sanitation and thus are more prone to infections and diseases. Furthermore, these areas house most of India’s population, but quality healthcare resources and facilities are not made easily-available to them. 66% of the rural population in India lack access to preventive medicines, and 31% of the rural population have to travel over 30km to receive necessary medical treatment. In certain rural areas, even basic drugs such as paracetamol are not available, and an ambulance can take as long as 75 minutes to arrive (Kumar, 2013). To learn more how to lack of access to healthcare in rural areas causes poverty, click here.

Due to the shortage of doctors and affordability and accessibility of medical facilities in rural India, the rural population often have to turn to traditional doctors as they are unable to obtain professional help. These traditional doctors may not possess the necessary skills to treat diseases or infections, thereby potentially resulting in deaths that could be prevented with more accessible facilities.