India, April 23 -- In a country like India, where affordable, universal healthcare run by government agencies remains a work in progress, most people rely on private healthcare facilities. In fact, more than 70% of the country's hospitals are privately owned and nearly 85% are in the unorganised sector.

As patients prefer visiting corporate chains or quality healthcare providers in metros during health crises, large payers are steadily increasing their market share. Consequently, small and midsized hospitals in non-metro locations are grappling with a decline in patient footfall. On the other hand, those who cannot afford expensive private care are left to bear the brunt of healthcare disparities. For context, a report by the National In...