'Healthcare, education now commercialised': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat flags accessibility crisis; says common man struggles with costs

NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday expressed concerns over the increasing commercialisation of healthcare and education while speaking at an event in Indore. He said that both sectors, once considered acts of service, have now become unaffordable and inaccessible for the common man.“Health and education are extremely important and were earlier considered as ‘seva’ (service), but now both are beyond the reach of common people. Both have been commercialised. They are neither affordable nor accessible,” Bhagwat said at an event in Indore. Citing personal experience, Bhagwat recalled, “when I was a child, I had malaria and missed school for three days. My teacher came home, and brought jungle herbs for my treatment. He was concerned that the student who came to him should stay healthy. Society needs accessible and affordable healthcare.”Referring specifically to cancer care, he said, good cancer care is currently available in only 8-10 Indian cities, and stressed the need for healthcare that does not become a source of anxiety for patients. “We need low-cost, easily accessible medical care. Treatment should not turn into a cause of worry,” he added. Bhagwat also said that Western medical research cannot be uniformly applied across the world due to regional and individual differences. “Someone may benefit from naturopathy, others from homeopathy, no single way can be supreme. Indian medical systems treat based on personal needs,” he noted.On the education front, he pointed out that students still have to travel long distances for quality education, just as patients do for advanced healthcare.