Using the consumption expenditure data, National Sample Survey, 2009–2010, this paper test the hypothesis that the monthly per capita household health spending of elderly households is significantly higher than non-elderly households in India. The households are classified into three mutually...

This is a brief essay discussing some key aspects of the current debates on medical corruption and malpractices in India. I highlight few illustrations from recent research and argue that the falling standards of medical practice in the country is a fallout of a combination of dwindling ethical...

The southern state of Kerala in India is known for greater status of women and low gender bias in society. However, the social and human development in Kerala have not been congruent to the economic emancipation of women, and paradoxically, female labour force participation has been on the...

The paper reports findings from a quality assessment exercise based on respondents' perceptions on different domains of service quality in a comparative manner between public and private health facilities in rural West Bengal, India. Based on a sample survey, and a combination of ex-ante and...

Natural disasters can lead to significant changes in health, economic, and demographic outcomes. However, the demographic effects of earthquakes have been studied only to a limited degree. This paper examines the effect of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, which killed more than 20,000 people,...