Private Hospitals Six Times Expensive Than Govt-Owned In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Medical expenses are at an all-time high and private hospitals are six times more expensive than those run by government in Odisha, according to the latest National Sample Survey (NSS).

According to the survey report, average medical expenditure per hospitalisation in Odisha was Rs 29,974 in private hospitals in rural areas and Rs 33,935 in urban areas. The expenditure for the same in public hospitals was Rs 5,098 in rural areas and Rs 6,698 in urban areas.

While the cost of medicine constituted the highest expenditure in rural public hospitals, the package component was highest for private hospitals in the same area.

The package component cost is low in Odisha compared to the national average, while expenditure towards medicines in public hospitals is more.

The cost of expenditure is more for men than women in both rural and urban areas.

The silver lining: 66.8 per cent of children have been fully immunized in the state compared to the national average of 59.2 per cent.