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NOT SO HEALTHY
What the article is about?
- Talks about the budget provisions related to the health sector
Syllabus: GS-II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector services like health; GS-III Budget; Fiscal Policy
Budget 2022 and Health-related provisions:
- In 2022-23, the Budget estimate for the health sector is Rs 86,200.65 crore — a 16.59% increase compared to the 2021-22 Budget estimate.
- Besides augmenting the health infrastructure, the government has also placed its priority on another critical issue related to the pandemic: mental health.
- This year, the government will transfer Rs 4,176.84 crore to the states — to be utilised to support wellness centres, setting up of integrated public health labs, and critical care hospital blocks in districts with a population of more than 5 lakh.
- The government announced the roll-out of the national tele-mental health programme.
- The programme will include a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence, NIMHANS being the nodal centre and IIIT-Bengaluru providing technology support.
- The national digital health mission has been allocated Rs 200 crore, compared to just Rs 30 crore allocated in the previous Budget.
- The digital ecosystem will comprise an exhaustive list of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity, consent framework and universal access to health facilities.
- The Department of Health Research, which played a key role in the development of vaccines in India, has been allocated Rs 3,200 crore.
- However, this is only a 4-per cent increase compared to the revised 2021-22 estimates.
Concerns:
- There is a need to substantially raise the overall budgetary contribution to the health sector.
- It is currently pegged at 1.8% of the GDP.
- Insurance coverage is restricted to organised sectors; around 26 crore people are out of health insurance and a staggering hospitalisation cost.
- Increase the coverage of Ayushman Bharat to include outpatient costs faced by the poor.
- Need to address the crisis of non-communicable diseases- hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
- The Budget does not hold very much promise to other essential services in the healthcare sector, including the crucial medical device industry.
Way Ahead:
- The need of the hour is to ensure quality healthcare, accessible and affordable to all.
- The government need to focus more on primary healthcare investment and make the healthcare system as National Priority’ status, as was done for the IT sector.
