Open Source Model in Healthcare Can Create Shared Value

Last weekend, I [Salil] visited my parents who live in Hyderabad, a city in South India. During the trip, I initiated a conversation with an old family friend named Ghuraan Bi by simply asking how she was doing.  A slight lady in her 60s, the innocuous question seemed to trigger a barrage of emotions.

 Ghuraan Bi settled down on the floor and unbundled a small bag in which she stored betel leaves (paan) and betel nuts (supari). This was an indication that she was preparing for a long conversation, and then, she said something that immediately caught my attention.

She narrated a story about how she had to loan her home out as collateral to the local money-lender in order to pay for her husband’s medicines. Tears welled up into her eyes as she spoke about how expensive medicines took her home away from her. “Why do medicines have to cost so much?”, she asked! Why, indeed!