COVID-19 and the burden of ill-health: a double crisis of disruptions and inequalities.

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we attempt to show how the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has disrupted routine health services in India and has created further inequalities in the society. By taking a few examples of non-COVID diseases and conditions like immunization, maternal health services, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases, this paper shows how these services have been disrupted by the pandemic. The paper argues that these disruptions have not emerged only as a result of the current crisis, but because of the paradigm shifts in the healthcare delivery in the country towards privatization which have disproportionately marginalized particular sections of the society. The paper concludes by stating that if adequate measures are not taken now to transform the health system and strengthen the public healthcare system, it might lead to catastrophic consequences in the future, especially for the marginalized sections.