Taking loans from private moneylenders and inability to afford healthcare expenses are two major reasons behind suicides in rural areas of the country, Union Minister D. Purandeswari said on Saturday.
"Surveys say there are two reasons why a large number of suicides take place in rural areas. The first is because farmers are unable to pay back loans taken from private money lenders. And the second is expenses they will have to spend to afford healthcare," the Minister of State for Human Resource Development said at a convocation of Sri Ramachandra University.
She said this only emphasised that ways and means have to be founded to make healthcare affordable and accessible to those living in the lowest rungs of society. Purandeswari later gave away medals and certificates to outstanding students.