India, Sept. 9 -- Nearly 34% of families living in Delhi's resettlement colonies were forced into debt due to the burden of illness, averaging Rs.1.8 lakh per family, according to a new study published on Sunday. The paper, "Chronic illnesses requiring home-based palliative care and their impact on families in an urban resettlement colony of Delhi," published in Palliative Care and Social Practice, revealed the severe economic and social consequences of chronic illnesses in the city's resettlement colonies.

Conducted through a door-to-door survey of 43,267 people between September 25, 2024 and January 10, 2025, the study found that 34.44% of families had incurred debt, and in 87.10% of cases it was illness-related. "The families with deb...