Universal health insurance available in the countryImage credit source: Unsplash
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the full budget for the financial year 2024-25 on July 23, 2024. This time, the health sector has high expectations from the budget, one of the reasons being the government’s indication in the interim budget. While the government had increased the allocation for the health sector in the interim budget, it also emphasised that the government will focus on improving the health sector. One of the biggest demands is that not only the poor but every citizen of the country should benefit from a health insurance scheme like Ayushman Bharat.
If we talk about the interim budget, the government had allocated Rs 90,171 crore for the health sector, which was more than the previous budget allocation of Rs 79,221 crore. However, India still spends only around 2 per cent of its GDP on the health sector, which experts are now demanding to be increased to 3 per cent, so that common people can benefit from it.
Everyone should benefit from health insurance
Industry experts advocate that everyone in the country should get the benefit of health insurance. He says that if the government expands schemes like Ayushman Bharat, people will get the benefit of health insurance protection at a low cost. Therefore, the government should focus on including additional families (middle class).
In this regard, Dr PN Arora, Chairman, Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital, Kaushambi, says that in the upcoming budget, the government should focus on expanding the healthcare sector. The government should provide quality healthcare to all citizens by expanding schemes like Ayushman Bharat or Comprehensive Health Insurance Coverage. He said that in the upcoming budget, a target of allocating 2.5-3.5 per cent of GDP for healthcare should be set, by which we can move towards universal health insurance coverage in the country.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has submitted a similar proposal to the government. It has also asked the government to move towards universal minimum health insurance.
The government should pay attention to government hospitals
To improve the state of healthcare infrastructure in the country, industry experts believe that the government should focus on improving public hospitals. In a recent report by Knight Frank, it was said that there are currently around 70,000 hospitals for the country’s population of 140 crore. Of these, 63 per cent are in the private sector. If all the public and private hospitals in the country are combined, there are only 1.3 hospital beds available per 1,000 people. While taking it to 3 beds per 1,000 people is the standard. To achieve this target, India still needs to build a capacity of 24 lakh beds.
The government also increased the allocation for the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the interim budget presented in February. Around Rs 7,200 crore was set aside for it. While Rs 646 crore was kept separately for the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.
