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
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:
Highlights of health budget:
--
Golden Rice will be brought in in the name of Health of Children . Already GM Golden Rice pushers are here .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 .I have seen the AIIMS in Rishikesh , the building is up but are unable to get faculty .We must respond .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 .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
--
