As govt begins fresh innings, all eyes on healthcare promise
Live MintThe government will have to focus on the major health initiatives that played a pivotal role in wooing voters and helped the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance come back to power at the centre. The key health initiatives of the previous government included Ayushman Bharat, price cuts for essential drugs and implants, and the introduction of health-related bills such as Mental Health Act, 2017, and HIV/AIDS Act, 2017, besides reviving the National Health Policy. “Continuity in the national leadership should provide an opportunity to implement all the key elements of the NHP of 2017,” said K. Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India. “As front end spending is needed to strengthen the health system, the first Union budget of the new government must show 25-30% rise compared to the previous budget. NHP 2017 affirms that two-thirds of public financing will go to primary health services that are the foundational basis of an effective and equitable health system.