Govt plans to raise public health spend to 2.5 pc of GDP

The draft National Health Policy (NHP) proposes to raise public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP and general taxation is envisaged to be the major source of financing for the health sector, the government today said.
Health Minister JP Nadda also said that the Centre is advocating a 'Health for All' approach as it stresses on the convergence of sectors such as nutrition, education, water and sanitation, agriculture, housing, labour and others to ensure holistic attention to healthcare.
"The draft NHP proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP and the major source of financing for the health sector is envisaged to be general taxation," Nadda said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

He said that the policy also proposes free and univeral access to primary care services to be provided by a network of public primary healthcare facilities supplemented by strategic purchase of secondary and tertiary care services.
"It (NHP) proposes comprehensive primary care as an entitlement and healthcare for every family that links them to a primary care facility to be eligible for this package service," Nadda said.
He said it proposes purchase of care from private hospitals to close critical gaps in the public provisioning of services in the second care sector and is, apart from that, also looking to ensure an increase in the number of doctors and specialists.

There is a proposal for the creation of a cadre of mid- level care providers through B.Sc. Degree-holders in community health while the setting up of centres of excellence for nursing and allied health sciences in each state is also envisaged under the NHP, he said.

To ensure the quality of medical education, a common entrance examination has been mooted on the pattern of NEET for entry into UG courses at all-India level institutes, Nadda said.
The draft policy also addresses the issue of community action and proposes a social movement for health, he further said while noting that it supports community participation facilitated by village health and sanitation and nutrition committees.

The minister added that the draft policy has been circulated among all state governments and central government ministries for their comments and suggestion.