Healthcare geopolitics in urban slums: An empirical study

This paper addresses the underdevelopment of the urban primary healthcare system in the slums of Ahmedabad, India. Mainly focused on two slums, Ramapir No Tekro and Ram Rahim No Tekro, home to 150,000 and 60,000 residents respectively, this empirical study follows the implementation of a healthcare and record management system facilitated by a local NGO, while addressing issues such as the challenge of providing primary healthcare services both from a government, policy makers, NGO, volunteer point of view. Keeping in mind that the caprices of weather, prevalence of unemployment, the caste system, the appeal of city life, and a general lack of facilities are some of the factors that lead people to migrate from their villages to urban spaces, these dwellings end up being congested, unhealthy, and lack basic health and education amenities. The residents of these spaces consist of migrants - often landless laborers who came to the city in search of employment. Therefore, evaluating patient preferences in terms of education, income etc. becomes vital in understanding the slum dynamics. Along with the doctors´ preference for working in such disadvantaged communities, this study gives a comprehensive view of how healthcare in urban slums influences the geopolitics of today´s world.