IIT Madras calls for greater government investment in healthcare to protect elderly during COVID-19

An analysis, based on the 75th round of the National Sample Survey 2017-18, found that only 18.9 per cent of the elderly had health insurance, with a vast majority being unable to bear large expenditure on health

An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Research has called for greater government investment in public healthcare to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the elderly. The current pandemic poses a greater risk of social isolation among the elderly, which may lead to a greater adverse impact on their health.

In a company release, IIT Madras said the poor among the elderly would suffer more than others. As a result, their access to regular primary healthcare services and continuity of care that is essential for those suffering from non-communicable diseases, given their dependency and lack of mobility, may have worsened further during this pandemic.

Overall, given the evidence on the possible hardships that the elderly may have already gone through during the pandemic and hardships that they may face in the future, the importance of strengthening the public healthcare system cannot be over-emphasised, researchers opined.

Based on the 75th round of the National Sample Survey (NSS) 2017-18, the study, published in the international journal Globalization and Health, found that only 18.9 per cent of the elderly had health insurance, and, therefore, they may not be able to bear large expenditures on health. Further, 27.5 per cent of people whose age is 80 years or above are immobile and 70 per cent of elders are partially or wholly financially dependent on others, said the release.

The study was undertaken by Professor VR Muraleedharan, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras and Dr Alok Ranjan, the first author who was a post-doctoral student at IIT Madras till December 2020 and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Jodhpur, it added.

The NSS survey covered 113,823 households and 555,115 individuals from randomly-selected 8,077 villages and 6,181 urban areas. The results showed that disparities exist in health status as well as healthcare access of elderly people across the country, the release notified.

Elaborating on the important findings of the study, Professor Muraleedharan said, “Our research highlights ways in which the elderly may have suffered even due to COVID-19 control measures, such as social/physical distancing that could increase depression and lead to a higher chance of inflammatory response in the elderly. There are several such ailments specific to the vulnerable elderly population. These are highlighted empirically, supported by other studies carried out in other country settings during the current pandemic.”

The vulnerability of India’s elderly increases across economic levels and other dimensions such as the place of residence, gender, social group (caste), marital status, living arrangements, surviving children and economic dependence. The current COVID-19 pandemic poses a greater risk of social isolation among the elderly, which may cause detrimental health impact. Missed treatments, unavailability of drugs also pose a major health challenge to elders.

Speaking about the relevance of the study to tackle future pandemics, IIT Madras Alum Dr Alok Ranjan, Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Jodhpur, said, “The future is uncertain and we may experience such pandemics and adversaries in coming years. Therefore, it is important that we take lessons from the current pandemic to ensure that such disasters in the future are less detrimental to the physical and mental health of the elderly.”

The release also mentioned that the researchers want to extend the result of this study to a policy. They plan to carry out detailed surveys among the elderly population, particularly in Tamil Nadu, especially to design effective rehabilitative care which is almost absent in India’s public healthcare system. The group works closely with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu, and is hopeful that their studies will be positively received by the state government.