National Health Policy a visionary step: Apollo Group

The Apollo Hospitals Group on Friday welcomed the National Health Policy and called it a "visionary step" towards assuring quality of life and quality of health services to every citizen.

The policy approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday proposes free drugs, free diagnostics and free emergency care services in all public hospitals.

"The policy implementation will lead to strengthening of the primary health institutions, which will help reduce the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases while reducing out-of-pocket expenditure on health services," the healthcare group said in a statement.

The policy, which proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, aims at achieving the highest level of good health and well-being through a preventive and promotive healthcare orientation. It also targets universal access to good quality healthcare services at affordable costs.

Prathap C. Reddy, Founder Chairman of the group, said: "This is a visionary step towards assuring quality of life and quality of health services to every citizen of India. Strengthening the primary care system, health education, preventive interventions along with ease of access to quality health facilities will help India tide over the communicable and non-communicable disease burden."

--IANS

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