Sandhya runs a small tiffin business from her single-room home in one of Mumbai’s informal settlements. With a microfinance loan, she built a steady income cooking lunches for nearby office workers. Her husband, Khetan, worked at a hotel, and together they managed to support their children through hard work and determination.

One morning, everything changed. Khetan saw a child falling from a crowded bus and rushed to help. In that moment, a taxi struck him and dragged him down the street. The child survived. Khetan was left with life-threatening injuries.

He needed multiple surgeries, a metal plate in his arm, and weeks of hospital care. The total cost reached Rs. 350,000 (around A$7,000) — more than a year and a half of the family’s income.

With no health insurance and savings exhausted after COVID lockdowns, Sandhya borrowed what she could from relatives. Informal moneylenders offered the rest — at interest rates as high as 200 per cent. She knew that accepting those terms would trap her family in debt for years.

Through Opportunity’s partner Uplift’s Health Finance Hub, Sandhya instead applied for an unsecured Emergency Medical Loan. It was approved within a day, at an affordable interest rate and with flexible repayments.

While Khetan recovers, Sandhya has kept her business running — the same business made possible by microfinance — to support her family.

Why families like Sandhya’s face impossible choices

Sandhya’s story reflects a wider reality across India. Despite economic growth, healthcare remains financially out of reach for millions. In fact, over 60% of all health spending in India is paid out-of-pocket — one of the highest rates in the world.

For families living on daily wages, this means:

• Medical emergencies must be paid upfront, often before treatment begins.
• Insurance coverage is low, and many families don’t know how to access it.
• Lost income during illness pushes households deeper into poverty.
• Predatory lenders step in with interest rates that can exceed 100–200%.

A single accident or illness can undo years of progress — forcing families to sell assets, close businesses, or pull children out of school.

As Sandhya said, “I was fighting then, and I’m still fighting now.”

How health finance provides a lifeline

Opportunity International Australia supports Health Finance Hubs that bridge the gap between medical need and financial access. Through partners like Uplift, families receive:

• Emergency medical loans approved within 24–48 hours.
• Affordable interest rates far below informal lenders.
• Health navigation — guidance on hospitals, pricing, and treatment options.
• OPD services offering basic diagnostics and early intervention.
• Health insurance enrolment and support to build small savings.

This combination of financial and medical support means families can access treatment when they need it, without falling into catastrophic debt.

Your support can help ensure that a medical emergency doesn’t become a financial catastrophe. You can help families access care, protect their livelihoods, and hold onto hope.