AAP govt hikes health bud; to double hospital beds, set up

Doubling the hospital-bed strength to 20,000 and expanding Mohalla Clinics are the focus areas of the Delhi budget for health for which the AAP government has set aside Rs 5,736 cr- 9 per cent more than the last fiscal's.
The budget has also proposed setting up five de-addiction centres for juveniles in the city.
The outlay for the health sector, about 12 per cent of the total budget of Rs 48,000 crore for financial year 2017-18, is 9 per cent more compared to the last fiscal's.
Presenting the budget in the Assembly, Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia today said health is second only to education on the AAP government's priority list.

"In the last two years, our government has worked to establish a three-tier healthcare system and our government will further strengthen this system in the next financial year," he said.
The city has a three-tier healthcare system -- mohalla clinics, polyclinics and hospitals.

"I propose a total expenditure of Rs 5,736 crore on health in 2017-18. This includes revenue budget of Rs 5,048 crore and capital budget of Rs 688 crore. An amount of Rs 2,627 crore is earmarked for implementation of various schemes, programmes and projects under the health sector," Sisodia said.
He said hospitals come under the third-tier of its healthcare system and work is under progress to increase the number of beds from 10,000 to 20,000.

It is expected to be completed in the next 18 months, he said.
"In addition, three hospitals at Burari, Ambedkar Nagar and Dwarka are under construction and another four are to be established at Sarita Vihar, Nangloi, Madipur and Sirsapur. There will be 5,000 new beds in these seven hospitals," he added.
The Delhi government had in the last budget also proposed 10,000 new beds at hospitals run by it and set a target of opening 1,000 Mohalla Clinics.
The city government recognises the Mohalla Clinics as the first-level of its three-tier healthcare system.
"110 such Mohalla Clinics are already functional in Delhi and it is expected that this number will be increased to over 150 by the end of the current financial year," Sisodia said.

"Our second-tier is polyclinic where specialists will be available for all diseases. Medicines and diagnostics will be free but there will be no indoor facilities. 23 such polyclinics are working and their number will be enhanced to 150 by the end of the next financial year," he said.
The AAP government also emphasised that it is working on schemes for issuing health cards and health insurance to all residents of Delhi. "An outlay of Rs 20 crore is proposed for these schemes."
The budget also proposes to establish five de-addiction centres for juveniles at the city government hospitals or institutions with five beds each.

"Pharmacies of five Delhi government hospitals -- LNJP Hospital, GTB Hospital, BSA Hospital, DDU Hospital and LBS Hospital, will be outsourced and free generic pharmacy or 'Jan Aushadhi' will be established outside Indraprastha Apollo Hospital," Sisodia said.
The government has already allowed free MRI/CT scan facility at its hospitals.
"Lab facilities and Tele-radiology through PPP (public- private-partnership) will further be strengthened. An outlay of Rs 15 crore is proposed for these facilities in the next year," Sisodia said in his budget speech.
He also reiterated the government's decision to partner with 41 private, nationally-accredited hospitals for delivering quality treatment in case of 30 critical and life-saving surgeries, for patients, whose waiting time at a government hospital exceeds by over a month.