Budget allocation for health sector remains insufficient, say healthcare professionals

Healthcare professionals and activists express concern over inadequate healthcare budget allocation, falling short of WHO recommendations and urgent needs.

Healthcare professionals and activists in the State have expressed concern over the “dismal increase” in the Budget allocation for the healthcare sector from last year.

Members of the Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV), affiliated to Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, have already written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressing concern over the continued shortfall in the Union government’s healthcare Budget allocations.

Citing a 2010 report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) that recommended spending 6% of GDP on healthcare to improve accessibility of health facilities to the public, PAV members said the current allocation remains at approximately 2% of the GDP, a far cry from the WHO’s recommendation.

“The allocation continues to fall short of both expectations and the urgent needs of the nation’s healthcare system,” said the members.

Explaining the consequences, organisation general secretary T. Kameshwar Rao said the persistent underfunding will lead to inadequate health infrastructure in the State, limited access to care, especially in rural areas, rising out-of-pocket expenses for citizens, and a weakened public health system.

“The disease pattern is on the rise these days. The different surveys being conducted at the State-level paint a grim picture. Cases of cancer, diabetes, blood pressure and other life-style diseases are on the rise. While it is the case, the spending on infrastructure, medicines, health staff should also increase proportionately. But the allocation remains more or less the same from last year,” Mr. Kameshwar Rao said, adding that the GST on medicines should be removed too.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), A.P., too, feels that the allocation should have been increased. “The National Health Policy-2017 recommended that the health expenditure be increased from the then 1.15% of the GDP to 2.5% of the GDP by 2025. But this time, it is less than 2%,” said Ravi Krishna of the IMA.