Book review: When healthcare comes too late | Review of Ramani Atkuri’s Staying Alive

The Hindu review by Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta examines Ramani Atkuri’s Staying Alive through the larger question of why healthcare continues to fail people living in rural and tribal communities.

The article highlights the story of Sombari Sabar, a young pregnant woman whose death illustrates how multiple problems like delayed medical attention, difficult distances, inadequate treatment and weaknesses in the health system which can combine to turn a preventable medical crisis into a tragedy.

The review also discusses Atkuri’s broader observations about malnutrition, maternal health, migration, understaffing, poor infrastructure and gaps in public healthcare. It argues that India’s health policies may be well designed, but implementation remains a major challenge, particularly for people who are already socially and economically vulnerable.

Ultimately, the article presents Staying Alive as a reminder that improving healthcare is not only about policies or infrastructure; it is about ensuring that people at the margins are seen, reached and treated in time.

Read it on The Hindu

Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta is the Development Commissioner & Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka, and a Board Member of PAC.

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