Instead of pro-corporate plans like NDHM, Modi govt needs to scale up spending on public sector healthcare

Health is a basic human right, but despite so much talk, health is not a fundamental right in our country. Healthcare is based on holistic approach, covering safe drinking water supply, sewerage facilities, clean air, healthy nutrition, good working environment, guarantee of job and sufficient remuneration etc. All these require planning with priorities towards health.Our patients are highly burdened with the cost of the healthcare. The National Health Policy document clearly admits that 6.3 crore people are pushed below poverty line due to high out of pocket expenditure on health. With a meagre spending of 1 per cent of the GDP by the State sector on public health as against required minimum of 5 per cent recommended by the WHO, the patients are left to remain at the mercy of the private sector which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the healthcare in our country. It is no secret how the patients have been fleeced even during pandemic by the corporate sector.Universal healthcare system is the only answer. There is enough information now on how the corporates hospitals fleeced the patients during COVID pandemic. The pharmaceutical industry minted money at the cost of seriously-ailing people. In the pre-COVID period, there were 100 billionaires in India, whose number increased to 140 during the pandemic. These billionaires earned Rs 12.7 lakh crore between March 2020 and March 2021.During the second wave of COVID pandemic, 24 of these 140 companies who deal in health sector were doing business of Rs 500 crore per day in April – May 2021. In contrast, despite several difficulties, the public sector institutions provided services to people with healthcare workers risking their lives.The NDHM type of exercise is useful in a healthcare system which is comprehensive and universal. In a system like ours, healthcare delivery is very diverse, right from faith healers, alternative medicine to the system of modern scientific medicine. The medical practitioners vary from small scale sector to corporate sector.



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