The ability to make informed decisions at the polls has been compromised when voters lack access to reliable information about the outcomes of government policies, the journal said.
The journal highlighted the abysmally low government spending on health — just 1.2% of GDP — and the high out-of-pocket expenses that continue to burden individuals.
Amid election campaign heat, the Lancet journal stressed the importance of accurate and timely health data, which has been lacking in India and minced no words in saying that healthcare under Modi fared poorly. Indian policymakers agreed, saying how when most women in the reproductive age group are anaemic, the government decides not to gather data on anaemia.