Social capital as an effective means against medical exploitation: What civil society can do

The costs of medical treatment are increasing worldwide. In low-income countries adequate health insurance systems are lacking and the average person is forced to pay for medical services out of pocket, oftentimes going into debt. At the same time certain sectors of the medical industry are expanding the health care market and prescribing unnecessary drugs and treatments. Here we look at this problem of medical exploitation in India and introduce social capital as one potential countermeasure. The relationship between health care and social capital has not yet been sufficiently explored and the oftentimes scientifically vague concept of social capital has been criticized. In response to this criticism we have undertaken a literature review using the ideas of Robert Putnam as a reference point. By means of a qualitative case study we proceed to illustrate how social capital can be employed against medical exploitation. Our case study focuses on a federation of neighborhood associations in Hyderabad which campaigns for medical fairness. We discuss how this community employs bonding and bridging forms of social capital. Although collective action against medical exploitation depends on an array of resources, we conclude that social capital is a resource that communities already possess, and deserves recognition.