Table 5 Caste as a barrier

Quote 1: “Innovations are always new concepts, even if it is an old idea, it will be presented as a fresh concept, that is the key to innovations. So, there is always the barrier of some sections not accepting it, a barrier to getting approval, because always few will not agree. A second barrier we can consider is that there are some social determinants. Suppose when we are developing an innovative program for health, we can never consider caste or sex, or some section of the population. It is always difficult to consider only a small section of the community. So, once we develop and implement an innovation there will always be complaints that some sections did not get representation. So, normally new projects on health shall not be constrained by such barriers” (Directorate of Health Service 7)

Quote 2: “When we say about focussing on primary health care, we do not speak about individuals. When we see a well-off family that does not need any support, even if one person from that family becomes incapacitated that whole family will be affected significantly. So, we need to see things from such a perspective. Rather than seeing the individual we should consider the family as a whole……when it comes to healthcare, as we all know it does not differentiate between caste or creed. Health is a concept that is beyond all this and is purely a matter of biological concern. So, if you ask who it affects, it is always an individual-level vulnerability. Even though I am not a person to speak about the relevance of all this, I can only say that we should move beyond all this and support all” (Directorate of Health Service 2)