Directions (Q. Nos 1 – 10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.
Sixty years after independence, India remains one of the unhealthiest places on earth. Millions of people still suffer from diseases that no longer exist almost anywhere else on the planet. What makes the picture even bleaker is the fact that India’s economic boom has so far had little impact on health standards. Between 2001 and 2006, India’s economy grew almost 50%, the country’s biggest expansion in decades. Meantime, its child-malnutrition rate dropped just a single percentage point to 46%. This is worse than in most African countries. The incredible economic growth is having an impact in other ways by driving up rates of rich-world diseases such as obesity and encouraging high-end health services, some of which offer world-class care but remain far beyond the reach of the vast majority of Indians. The country brags about the skill of India’s world-class doctors when its marketers sell India as a medical-tourism destination and an emerging health-service giant. The truth behind the glossy advertising is that: India is the sick man of Asia, malnourished and beset by epidemics of AIDS and diabetes and with spending levels on public health that even its Prime Minister has conceded are seriously lagging behind other developing countries in Asia.
Part of the reason for the sorry state of India’s medical services in the crumbling public health infrastructure—not fancy hospitals or equipment but basic services such as clean water, a functioning sewage system, power. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 900000 Indians die every year from drinking bad water and breathing bad air. Public health experts believe that India’s vast population adds to the burden, overloading systems where they do exist and aiding the spread of disease in the many places they don’t. Moreover for the past decade or so, funding for preventive public-health initiatives such as immunization drives and programmes to control the spread of communicable diseases has been cut. Experts also blame policies that concentrate on the latest scientific techniques and not enough on basics for the fact that millions of people in India are suffering and dying.
Especially in rural India, health services are poor to non-existent. Current staff often doesn’t turn up for work. Clinics are badly maintained and people end up seeking help from pharmacists who are not sufficiently trained. India needs more than a million more doctors and nurses. The government has also promised more money for rural health through its ambitious National Rural Health Mission. It will increase public-health spending from the current 1% of India’s GDP to upto 3% by 2010, but that’s still just half the rate at which countries with comparable per capita incomes such as Senegal and Mongolia fund their health sectors. If that is to change, we must realize that the link between wealth and good health isn’t clear-cut. Poor states that have made efforts in child immunization over the past few years now have better coverage than richer states, where immunization has actually slipped.
India needs to stop being complacent and prepare to spend on health but whenever it is mentioned there is always this debate about cost. Why don’t we have the same debate when spend tens of billions on new arms? It’s hard to be an economic superpower if you’re too sick to work.
1.Why has the author referred to India “as one of the unhealthiest places on earth” ? (2)
I.There is no cure available for many of the diseases contracted in India.
II.The Government has not clearly defined health standards.
III. A large number of people in India suffer from diseases, which have been wiped out in other countries.
(1) II and III
(2) Only III
(3) I and III
(4) All of these
(5) None of these
2.What staff related problems does the rural healthcare system face? (5)
I.High rate of absenteeism.
II.Badly maintained clinics.
III. Good Maintenance of equipment by staff.
(1) II and III
(2) I and III
(3) Only II
(4) All of these
(5) None of these
3.What has contributed to the present ill health among Indians? (1)
(1) Disintegration of the public healthcare infrastructure
(2) Healthcare facilities are often monopolized by foreigners
(3) Doctors in India do not conduct research in areas like diabetes which are affecting the population.
(4) The current government has taken no interest at all in public health initiatives
(5) Indian economy is not growing.
4.What has the impact of high cost of healthcare in India been? (5)
(1) The medical insurance sector is booming
(2) Patients seek care only from those who are adequately qualified
(3) The National Health Mission Scheme will be discontinue
(4) The number of poor increases
(5) The health care remains beyond the reach of the vast majority
5.What is the author’s main objective in writing the passage? (2)
(1) Comparing India and Africa in terms of economic growth
(2) Cautioning India to improve its healthcare system
(3) Exhorting India to have higher growth rate which will benefit the healthcare sector
(4) Criticizing medical practitioners for their lack of concern for the health of the weaker sections of society
(5) Advising India to maintain a lower economic growth and focus on healthcare.
6.Which of the following is true in the context of the passage? (3)
I.Economic growth leads to provision of better healthcare services for all.
II.Africa has cheaper and better healthcare facilities than India.
III. The per capita income of India and Senegal is equivalent.
(1) Only I
(2) II and III
(3) Only III
(4) All of these
(5) I and II
7.Which of the following cannot be seen as a cause for the state of India’s healthcare system? (5)
(1) Vast population
(2) Lack of basic services like water, power, etc
(3) Inadequate waste management facilities
(4) Lack of funding for preventive medical treatment like immunizations
(5) Lack of funding from the World Health Organization
8.What impact has India’s economic growth had on the healthcare system? (3)
(1) Economic growth has resulted in higher prices of food and so malnutrition has risen.
(2) India is spending more on healthcare than other developing countries
(3) Excellent healthcare facilities are available at rates unaffordable by most Indians
(4) India has become one of the most sought after medical tourism destinations in the world
(5) Good healthcare services are available to all
9.What can be inferred from the statistics given for 2001 – 2006? (4)
(1) India has made strides in reducing its malnutrition rate
(2) During this period India managed to achieve a growth rate equivalent to that of developed countries
(3) India managed to achieve high standards both in economic growth and in healthcare
(4) Though India achieved a high economic growth rate, this did not positively impact the healthcare sector to a great extent
(5) None of the above
10How has the Prime Minister reacted to the crisis facing the healthcare sector? (3)
I.Is concerned about the spending levels on the healthcare system.
II.Has decided to reduce expenditure on defence.
III. Has encouraged private sector investment in healthcare.
(1) II and III
(2) Only II
(3) Only I
(4) I and III
(5) None of these
