The Impact of the Caste System on Healthcare

In modern India, the caste system has become less influential on one’s social standing as previously in Indian history. However, there are echoes of this divide still evident in India, especially surrounding healthcare. For this project, I would like to research the effects of the modern caste system on many facets of healthcare, including wait times, treatment accessibility, and cost of care. Author Sanghmitra S. Acharya writes, “In the last 70 years, India has achieved considerable improvement in the health of its people. Nonetheless, the gap across social groups remains wide. There is evident association of low health status with poor, female gender, rural place of residence, tribal ethnicity, scheduled castes (SC) and specific minority groups” (Acharya 2018). This project will be an analysis of healthcare accessibility based on caste, gender, or other factors, and it will detail possible solutions to the issue of caste-based discrimination in healthcare. For this project to be affective, one must take a multifaceted approach when attempting to understand and improve India’s flawed healthcare system. The complex relationship between caste and the people of India is a major player in how this system works and is maintained. By identifying how caste and other factors are related will make it easier to find solutions to these flaws, which will help ensure necessary care to millions of people. Government intervention regarding access to healthcare, education, income stability, technology, and other essential services is a vital first step to ending caste discrimination. Acharya, S. S. (2018, June 18). Health Equity in India: An Examination Through the Lens of Social Exclusion. Journal of Social Inclusion Studies, 4(1), 104-130. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/239448111877448