A study on the economic status of women domestic workers and Covid-19 treatment affordability in private hospitals in Kerala State

Abstract

Background: The women domestic workers are neglected class of unorganized sector, although many social security measures and wage guarantee legislations are enacted, yet the working conditions and socio-economic status of women domestic workers are still in malady. The onset of covid-19 pandemic towards end of 2019 made matter highly worse for women domestic workers, by making them jobless and restrict to stay home finding hard to meet both ends. Many of these women are infected by covid-19 and several died of insufficient treatment and poor health conditions. The treatment charges in private hospitals for covid-19 is too high to afford by daily earning women domestic workers. Even after Kerala government put a cap to various covid treatment costs in private hospitals, the second wave of covid-19 witnessed filling up of government hospitals with patients and many of the people are forced to rely on private hospitals to save life. It is high time to think the insufficient economic and health schemes of women domestic workers and provide a comprehensive multi-faceted developmental policy toadopt by government. Objectives: The primary objective of the study is to analyze the covid-19 treatment affordability of women domestic workers in private hospital in association with their monthly family income. Methods/Statistical operations: The study is conducted in Palakkad district of Kerala state. The sampling technique adopted is simple random method from different age group of women domestic workers. A total of 150 women domestic workers is identified and tool used for survey is structured interview according to the convenience of the respondents. Findings: The study found that the covid- 19 treatment charges fixed by government is still unaffordable to majority of income range groups and only 5 percent have monthly family income to afford thefive-daygeneral ward treatment charges with normal medicines in private hospitals.