Free drugs, diagnosis to ensure 'Health for All' priority:Govt

With an aim to ensure "Health for All," the Government today promised to take up on priority key health initiatives of providing free drugs and free diagnostic services besides earmarking Rs 500 crore to set up four more AIIMS-like institutes in the country.
In his maiden budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government has also decided to set up 15 model rural health research centres in states for better health care facilities in rural India.
Jaitley said Rs 500 crore has been allocated for a plan to set up four more AIIMS-like institutes in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidarbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh.

The Minister also proposed to add 12 government medical colleges, where dental facilities would also be provided. At present, 58 government medical colleges have been approved.
"In order to achieve universal access to early quality diagnosis and treatment to TB patients, two National Institutes of Ageing will be set up at AIIMS, New Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai. A national level research and referral Institute for higher dental studies would be set up in one of the existing dental institutions," Jaitley said.
For the first time, the Government will provide central assistance to strengthen the States' Drug Regulatory and Food Regulatory Systems by creating new drug testing laboratories and strengthening the 31 existing State laboratories, he said.

"In keeping with the Government's focus on improving affordable health care and to augment the transfer of technology for better health care facilities in rural India, 15 Model Rural Health Research shall be set up in the states, which shall take up research on local health issues concerning rural population," Jaitley said enumerating steps for the health sector in the budget.