Open AccessMisplaced priorities in the Union Health Budget 2015
Author(s) -
Soumyadeep Bhaumik
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of family medicine and primary care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2278-7135
pISSN - 2249-4863
DOI - 10.4103/2249-4863.154624
Subject(s) - parliament , medicine , government (linguistics) , health care , health insurance , balanced budget , economic growth , economics , politics , philosophy , linguistics , political science , law
The Union Budget presented on 28 February 2015 in the Indian parliament has allocated only INR 33,000 crores for health. It allocates more funds for building newer tertiary care hospitals and increases income tax exemptions for buying health insurance. The article explains that model that is being followed, as indicated by these measures, will create havoc to the lives of Indians and make them sicker and healthcare costlier. The budget is not in line with the actual priorities of India's health system and nor paves the road map for Universal Health Coverage. The Government of India needs to gets its priorities right.