COMMENTS ON HEALTH BUDGET

Dear All

Maybe  I  have  not  understood  the  full  budget  but  to  me  it  appears  that "health"  has  been  given a  go by  in  this  budget. Establishing AIIMS  in  different  states  is a faulty  way  to  provide  health  to  the  people. For  one  Govt  does  not  allocate  adequate  resources  to establish a  functional  AIIMS  like  institute  which  alone  would  require  substantial  funds  and  then  to  provide  AIIMS  like  faculty  on salaries  given is  a quixotic  idea. Good  faculty  remains  in  AIIMS  because  of  the  excellent academic environment, intellectual oppurtunity and  overall  lifestyle  of  the  staff. These  so  called  AIIMS  become  a  caricature  of  the  premier  institute  with  no  purpose  except  to  fool the  public  as  a  political vote gathering tool. The  only  thing  I  could  find  was  relief  provided  to Ambulance  services  from  the  purview of  service  Tax. If  Taxing  the  Ambulance  services  was  on  the  radar of  the  Government  then  I must  thank  the  Finance  Minister  for the  "Acche Din"  indeed.Yoga  has  been  included  in  list  of  charitable  activities  and  hence  can  be  expected  to have  tax  benefits.

There  has  been  mention  of  "diagnostics"  becoming  expensive  due  to  increased  service  tax  on some  talk  shows  but  I  still  need  to see  the  concrete  details  before  commenting  on  this. All  in  all  no  special  mention  of  any  increase  in  health  budget. No  tax  benefits to  small  and  medium  healthcare  establishments. No  plan  to  increase  the  tax  base  so  professionals  like  doctors  who  anyway  are  tax payers  can  expect  to  be  squeezed. Increase  in  exemption  to  health  insurance  will  benefit  corporate  hospitals with  increased  business more  than  the  SMHCE. The  budget  is  blind  to  the  role  the  SMHCEs  who  play  a  crucial  role  in  health care  delivery  to  the  nation and  their  needs  have  been  left  unfulfilled.      

 

Dr  Neeraj  Nagpal
Convenor, Medicos  Legal  Action  Group
Ex  President  IMA  Chandigarh 

In the current year’s health budget, there is a reduction of Rs. 5100 crores, i.e. by about 17% compared to last year’s budget.  This is unprecedented and shameless. The health care budget for central government pensioners (about Rs. 2000 crores) was included all these years in the budget of the Secretariat, the Mantralaya. But this time it has been shown in the general Health Budget. This has misleadingly increased the health budget by 2000 crores.  This item should be removed when comparing this year’s health budget with last year’s.  If this is done, the reduction is about Rs. 7000 crores!  The announcement of National Health Assurance Mission was a mere slogan.

 It was felt that at least AYURVEDA would get an increase. But – No ! The provision for Ayurveda has decreased from 265 to 248 crores. The National Health Policy Draft has stated that the vaccine producing public sector units need support. But this budget has not been increased! The provision for special loan to public sector pharma units like Hindustan Antibiotics, IDPL has been slashed to zero! When in India medicines worth 87000 crores are sold annually, to have a budget of a mere 35 crores for Janaushadhee Scheme for generic medicines is a cruel joke.  Increase in the deductible amount spent for health insurance and such concessions would benefit some middle class people. But the ordinary people will now be exposed to the full blown effect of policy of privatization.

Anant 

On 28 February 2015 at 22:46, Dr MIRA SHIVA <mirashiva@gmail.com> wrote:

If Primary health care  is asphyxiated , morbidy & mortality  of the vulnerable sec20% 

Corporate tax decreased from 30% to 25% . Removal of Health Tax ,
Increase in Service tax , which includes Medical Services.
Cut in ICDS This will be terrible for children  46 % of whom are already malnourished . 

We must respond .

I have seen the AIIMS in Rishikesh , the building is up but are  unable to get faculty . 

PM in his speech had spoken about Sickle Cell Anaemia being worse  than Cancer  and New technology Stem cell  being in a position to contribute . Wanted to respond to this & Australian Researcher adding Nutrition to Banana .

Golden Rice  will be brought in in the name of Health of Children . Already GM Golden Rice pushers are  here .

Regards,

Mira

 Highlights of health budget:

• Reduction in per capita allocation even compared to previous year, especially if you account for inflation and population increase. Completely flies in the face of all kinds of rhetoric in Party manifestos and planning documents of increasing public expenditure to 2 - 2.5% of GDP
• Token allegiance to healthcare shown by announcing a few more ';AIIMS like'; institutions. Its like mopping the floor while the tap is open full throttle. Reduce allocation for health and starve primary care and then believe that a few tertiary hospitals will do the trick. Betrays a fundamental bankrupcy in the vision towards health.
• Tax breaks for those buying private health insurance. This is the real vision -- encourage the middle class and the elite to migrate to the private sector, and forego taxes that could be used to strengthen public services. Thus accelerate the creation of dual systems -- a poorly funded public for the poor and helpless and a strengthened private sector with guaranteed clientele, supported by tax breaks for insurance. Even ESI beneficiaries to be now given a choice to opt for insurance rather than seek care in ESI facilities. 

Depressing and totally disappointing scenario.

Amit

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