Dinesh Trivedi, Union minister of state for Health, on Friday said that many health parameters in the country like maternal mortality and HIV are close to sub Saharan Africa.

“I had to hang my head in shame that in health parameters we are close to sub Saharan Africa,” said Trivedi at a seminar on health and lifestyle in Kolkata. He said 70 per cent patients in rural areas suffer from diarrhea because of contaminated drinking water. The minister said that 80 percent of the entire expenditure spent on healthcare is by private players who cater to only 15 percent of the people of the country. He said his ministry will form a 25-member committee to suggest measures on how to improve the healthcare situation. Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said the development in healthcare is not commensurate to the GDP growth.