There's been criticism that Modicare may fail to address the enormous inequities in India's health sector. As days pass, health experts are raising questions about the delivery of the scheme and whether it will really benefit citizens.

The medical care that Nisha Kumari received in a premier government hospital in Delhi has brought a smile to her face. She was operated ten months back for a rare spinal disease. For aftercare she now lives with her father Ram Nath Rai, in a night shelter in Delhi, miles away from her village. For Rai, life has been in and out of hospitals. First for his leg due to lack of proper medical care in his village. Then he lost his wife to cancer. He had to sell of his land for her treatment and now he begs on the streets of Delhi for a livelihood.

RAM NATH RAI "Once a doctor enters a person's life or if one is faced by a medical crisis it makes a man homeless or penniless. The person can neither move forward in life nor can he look back."

Such stories are common all across India. In order to meet the demand for greater accessibility to healthcare the government announced world's largest insurance scheme called The National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS). Labeled as 'Modicare' the scheme aims to extend healthcare insurance to 100 million families with an insurance ceiling of 500,000 rupees per family. The NHPS is the government's step to make the private sector share its responsibility to deliver healthcare.

VINAY KUMAR TIWARI "If you compare the present position in private hospitals there is no waiting, you go and you can consult a doctor directly. So suppose this insurance policy is there, so half the patients will go to private hospitals so we will be able to fill the gap."

Healthcare experts say in order to make the private sector responsible for providing healthcare, the monitoring mechanism and regulation has to be strengthened.

INDRANIL HEALTH ECONOMIST "The private sector is going to be the key provider of care. And the kind of market failure, the kind of unnecessary care that provided, it needs a lot of regulation on the private sector."

The amount India spends on public health per capita every year is about 16 US dollars, which is less than the cost of a single consultation at the country's top private hospitals. And the question being raised is that will these hospitals rest for less money to share the government's responsibility of healthcare. Ravinder Bawa, Delhi.