Mysore is a bustling city that is known for its extravagant silks, grand royal palace, Ashtanga yoga, and its growing reputation for longevity as it trends towards becoming a “blue zone”. My primary experience in Mysore largely consisted of living in the big city, shielded from major societal challenges such as poverty. Near the end of the trip, however, my perspective shifted while visiting a small village hospital. There, I witnessed firsthand the disparities in health that go beyond what a lecture or textbook could convey.

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     We visited S. Hemmanahalli, a village about 30 minutes from the city, which houses a population of 30,000. There, we toured a local hospital and met with a dedicated doctor who addresses a wide range of health concerns. She works daily from 9:00am - 4:30pm, treating more than 60 patients a day. She single-handedly provides critical services as she is trained in providing over 48 programs, including but not limited to: primary psychiatric, gynecological, dental, cardiovascular, pediatric, familial planning, respiratory, autoimmune, and communicable and non-communicable disease (NCDs). The main challenges stem from limited health education, contributing to high rates of preventable conditions such as obesity, unwanted pregnancies, diabetes, and vitamin A deficiencies, all of which can lead to premature death.

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     This visit highlighted the heavy burden of NDCs, which are the leading cause of death in India, accounting for 60% of all deaths (Narain, 2016). These conditions are widespread nationally but are particularly concerning in rural areas, where mortality rates surpass those in urban areas (Chauhan, 2011). As the doctor explained, most cases at the clinic involve preventable NCDs linked to lifestyle. Despite the villagers' physically active routines, unlike urban populations, where sedentary lifestyles are becoming more common, their diets, which are mainly carbohydrate based (65-70% of diet), contribute to heart disease, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease, and obesity (Salis et al., 2021; Bhardwaj et al., 2016). These issues are further compounded by other unhealthy practices, including heavy alcohol and tobacco usage (Narain, 2016).

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     At the community level, programs like Anganwadi provide vital support. These small courtyards or homes serve 5–20 children under age six for about 300 days a year as a sort of daycare setting (Sengar et al., 2021). The service provides basic education that helps children achieve higher psychosocial development, immunizations to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, and food/supplements for proper nutrition (Sachdev, & Dasgupta, 2011). The programs emphasize protein intake, as protein deficiencies affect up to 65% of children in some areas. They also provide education to the mothers to address calorie needs and portion control to combat malnutrition, diabetes, and vitamin deficiencies (Das et al., 2020). Additional care such as family planning, antenatal care, immunization, health behaviors, and hygiene has aided in reducing the burden of NCDs at local hospitals decreasing risks of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and oral cancers while improving general health outcomes and metabolic parameters (Andersen et al., 2024; Mishra et al., 2015; Miles et al., 2020).

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     Within the hospital itself, public policies such as free healthcare allow for all 30,000 individuals in that village to receive any type of care completely free of cost. Services include ambulance rides, minor surgeries, cancer screenings, vaccinations, chemotherapy, birth control procedures, insulin, and other medications. The doctor alone dispenses over 30 types of medication directly from her office. Although these health initiatives and policies are effective, there is still more that can be done to improve these methods to continue to decrease preventable diseases, part of which lies in shifting healthcare culture from curative to preventive. As a testament to this, the majority of patients who enter the hospital do so when they physically cannot handle the burden of their illness. For example, when respiratory distress or neuropathy has left them debilitated, which is often already too late. Even after treatment, stigma persists, with many resorting to hiding medications or avoiding follow-up appointments out of fear of getting seen or judged by another community member.

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     To combat this, research suggests prioritizing public education, particularly among women, to contribute to better disease reporting and informed health decisions (Kundu et al., 2025). While India’s public health system offers strong initiatives, it struggles with staffing shortages, uneven distribution of qualified workers (one of the lowest density of physicians per capita in the world), and under-enrolled training programs, and undersubscribed training programs. Expanding community involvement, filling healthcare vacancies, and improving system efficiency can help solve this bureaucratic issue (Joshi et al., 2022; Narain, 2016). India already has public policy implemented to combat public health issues, especially among low socioeconomic status. Strengthening large-scale programs like Ayushman Bharat – PM-JAY, the world’s largest health insurance scheme, and expanding access through telehealth and other technologies could drive further progress in increasing access to equitable care by means of efficiency (Gupta, 2020; Grewal et al., 2023; Narain, 2016).

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     One case that stayed with me was that of a woman with schizophrenia. Each day, she wandered the streets, stopping at the hospital to warn others that the doctor was part of a government plot to chip people through vaccines. She wore a helmet at all times, convinced it would protect her from a government-orchestrated accident. After several conversations, the doctor conducted a psychiatric evaluation and prescribed antipsychotics. As the woman’s symptoms improved, her sister intervened, claiming the medication was poisoning her. The sister threw out the pills, and the woman returned to wandering the streets, trapped once again in her delusions.

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     It is because of cases like this that I am driven to pursue psychology. I hope that by earning a PhD, I can gain the skills to provide care to those who can’t afford it, educate patients and students, and combat misinformation through research and advocacy. I want to help bridge gaps between socioeconomic groups and provide equitable mental health care. I plan on becoming a pillar in my community, offering pro bono services, mentoring others, and helping ensure that stigma and ignorance no longer stand in the way of treatment, solving that issue on a smaller scale.