Poverty as a medical condition

The death of three children due to prolonged starvation recently in Delhi is one of the greatest tragedy of human life. Diseases like tuberculosis, parasitic infections including malaria and HIV infection are seen in poor people. Lack of hygiene, potable water, and shelter remain the greatest challenge for a government to handle. Even if government sanctions funds to tackle the problem fulfilling the basic necessities of life like food, shelter, and access to health care outcome of such fund allocation remain below expectations. It is said that if the funds released by the government is like an iceberg by the time it passes through the governmental route only a few drops reach the needy. Policies, political will, implementation of program related to poverty reduction sometimes remain utopian. In Tamilnadu mid-day meal scheme, distribution of essential commodities of food items, the opening of Government run hotels to provide food at affordable prices and homes for the poor try to fight poverty and therefore the medical conditions ( primary health care) associated with it. It reminds us of the fiery lines of a great Poet Subramanya Bharathi " Destroy the world even if a single person does not have food". These words may sound utopian but the human tragedy of a child and a pet dog eating the food from the left-overs of a dustbin puts humanity to shame and the world to answer. Poverty is the first hurdle to cross for primary health care to function and achieve its goal to propagate the slogan " prevention is better than cure."