New Delhi, July 19 -- Healthcare does not become expensive when treatment starts. It becomes expensive when treatment starts too late. We spend billions searching for better cures, advanced surgeries, breakthrough drugs, and smarter technologies. Yet, one of the biggest drivers of healthcare costs remains surprisingly simple. It is not a rare disease. It is not complex surgery. It is the delay.

Which factor may lead to delays in accessing health care?

Patients who delay seeking care by days, months, or even years after symptoms first appear place a significant financial and clinical burden on the healthcare system. When treatment starts late, the clinical and financial impact changes completely. "A simple infection becomes sepsis, uncon...