India has made rapid strides in the health sector since Independence: life expectancy has gone up markedly, the infant mortality rate has been halved, 42 per cent of children receive the essential immunisations. We have a huge private healthcare infrastructure. And yet, critical health issues remain: infectious diseases continue to claim a large number of lives, babies continue to die needless deaths from diarrhoea and respiratory infections, and millions still do not have access to the most basic healthcare.