How dubious godmen, fakirs, and quacks are exploiting the gaps in rural healthcare

How dubious godmen, fakirs, and quacks are exploiting the gaps in rural healthcare
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Around 48% of India’s population travels more than 100km to access healthcare facilities.

Synopsis

These godmen profess to be endowed with magical powers, and claim that they can predict the future and offer cures unknown to medical science. Some of them even go to the extent of challenging anyone who disputes their authority.

With clasped hands, a distraught man kneels and sprawls on the ground. He mumbles in a choked voice, “Please save my brother-in-law. He is battling end-stage cancer and the family is losing hopes.” On the other side is a self-styled, clean-shaven godman maintaining a grave composure. After some deep introspection, the godman offers the panacea — a set of secret hymns to recite by the side of the ailing patient, some sacred ash, and 40 leaves of

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