Latest news with #NationalHealthPolicy
New Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Insurance premiums surpass health budget
NEW DELHI: In a stark indicator of India's shifting healthcare landscape, individual health insurance premiums have now exceeded the combined central government allocation for the Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Health Research. An analysis of annual reports from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and corresponding Union Budget documents shows that while insurance premium collections briefly dipped in the immediate post-pandemic years (2021–22 and 2022–23), they have since surged past the national health budget. Even when related spending by other ministries—such as Defence and Labour—is taken into account, India's total public health expenditure remains low: just around 2% of the Union Budget and 1.5% of GDP, falling short of the 2.5% target set by the National Health Policy. This trend signals more than a budgetary shift—it reflects a structural transformation in how healthcare is accessed and funded in India. Increasing reliance on private insurance points toward a market-driven model where care is increasingly linked to ability to pay, raising serious equity concerns, particularly for the uninsured and underinsured. Critics argue that insurance-based healthcare, especially when not backed by strong public infrastructure, can exacerbate inequalities. A large share of India's workforce remains in the informal sector and lacks access to comprehensive insurance. Public health facilities, meanwhile, continue to be underfunded and overstretched.
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Business Standard
27-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Datanomics: Rising Covid cases put spotlight on India's healthcare system
Without urgent boosts in investment, experts warn India will struggle to meet both everyday and emergency health demands Delhi Listen to This Article India recently crossed 1,000 Covid cases nationwide, raising questions on the country's healthcare system. According to experts, this surge involves milder variants, but the spike tests a system already stretched thin by underinvestment, doctor shortages, and gaps in hospital infrastructure. India's National Health Policy, 2017, set a target of spending 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on health care by 2025. However, the current spending remains at 1.4 per cent. Without an investment boost, experts warn that India will struggle to meet both everyday and emergency health demands. Kerala records most cases India recorded 752 new
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Nadda Calls for Private Hospitals to Strengthen Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
New Delhi: In a significant push for stronger public-private collaboration in healthcare, Union Health Minister JP Nadda emphasised the crucial role of private players in strengthening the country's digital health ecosystem and expanding access to affordable care. Inaugurating the 300-bed super-speciality hospital at Dwarka, the greenfield and 22nd facility of Max Healthcare , Nadda urged the private hospital to join the Ayushman Bharat Mission by integrating with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission (ADHM) and the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA). He stressed that integrating with ADHM and ABHA will enhance public-private collaboration in healthcare, ensuring that quality and affordable care reaches all corners of the country. He added that this initiative aligns with the government's broader vision of achieving a Viksit Bharat by 2047. 'I urge Max Healthcare to integrate fully with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and Ayushman Bharat Health Account,' said Nadda. He emphasized the importance of private players in strengthening the country's digital health ecosystem and broadening access to affordable care. He also added that to set the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, public-private partnerships are essential. Both government and private institutions must work hand-in-hand. We must ensure that healthcare is not just of high quality, but also affordable and accessible. Achieving this requires a balance of speed, scale, and skill. He also acknowledged that healthcare reforms initiated under the 2017 National Health Policy have propelled India from a curative model to a more holistic framework that encompasses preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care. 'Our 177,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are now screening both men and women above 30 for a range of conditions, including cancer, hypertension, and mental health issues,' he added. As part of preventive care, every individual over 30 is being screened for oral, breast, and cervical cancers, hypertension, diabetes, dental issues, and mental health concerns. 'We remain fully committed to supporting the private sector in achieving our shared healthcare goals,' Nadda affirmed. In a broader context, Nadda noted that under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India had only one AIIMS, but today, under Prime Minister Modi, 16 more have been added, bringing the total to 23 AIIMS. He highlighted that state-of-the-art infrastructure in both the public and private sectors has helped overcome the previous trend of doctors seeking treatment abroad. "In the last decade, the number of medical colleges has increased from 387 to 780. MBBS seats have risen from 51,000 to 180,000, and PG seats have grown from 31,000 to 74,000. We plan to add 75,000 more MBBS/UG seats in the next five years,' he shared. Reflecting on India's COVID-19 response, Nadda compared it to Western nations, emphasizing the resilience and scale of India's healthcare system. 'While other nations struggled with lockdown protests and low vaccine uptake, India administered over 2.2 billion doses—even in remote and Naxal-affected regions—demonstrating the robustness of our infrastructure,' he said. Reaffirming the government's commitment to supporting the private sector, Nadda concluded, 'Public-private partnerships are not optional—they are essential. We are committed to affordability, accessibility, and equity in healthcare.'
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Rate of decline in key health indicators nearly double of global rate: Nadda
New Delhi: The rate of decline in key health indicators in India, for example infant mortality and maternal mortality, is nearly double the global rate, Union health minister J P Nadda said on Tuesday, and added that the private sector has played an important role in achieving this feat. Speaking at the inauguration of a 300-bedded hospital developed by Max Healthcare in Dwarka in West Delhi, Nadda said the US and Europe could not get more than 70% of their population vaccinated against the coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic, while in India, which has a more than 140 crore population, 220 crore vaccine doses were administered successfully. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi "Even in Naxal-affected areas, healthcare workers made sure to take the cold chain system and administer double doses of the Covid vaccine," the minister said. In 2017, the BJP-led Centre came up with a National Health Policy that focuses on holistic management of health issues. Nadda said the focus was on curative treatment. Now, the govt is strategizing towards building infrastructure for promoting health and wellness, preventing diseases and providing rehabilitation, where needed, in addition to providing treatment, he said. "We have operationalized 1.77 lakh Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs or primary health facilities in the country that are being used to screen people for common illnesses, for example high blood pressure, diabetes, oral cancer, breast cancer and cancer of the cervix," Nadda said. Chairman and managing director of Max Healthcare, Abhay Soi, said Delhi-NCR is a critical hub for advanced medical care, and Dwarka, given its strong connectivity to multiple parts of Delhi, is perfectly positioned to meet the region's growing healthcare needs. "As a greenfield venture, this facility reflects our intent to expand meaningfully by building high-quality infrastructure in locations that improve accessibility," he said. Max Healthcare currently operates 22 healthcare facilities with around 5,000 beds. Soi said they plan to add 3,700 beds across key locations in the country. Max Super Speciality Hospital in Dwarka, he added, houses over 120 critical-care beds, 10 modular operation theatres, and advanced Cath Labs, according to a statement issued by the hospital.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Looking back to the strength of a people's movement against filariasis
The World Health Organization has sought to eliminate filariasis, globally, by 2030, a decade later than its original target of 2020. While India's target year is now 2027, this deadline has been arrived at after several revisions: the National Health Policy had originally set the goalpost for 2015. Filariasis, clearly, has been difficult disease to eradicate. While pioneering experiments by vector specialists over the years have helped India reduce its disease burden, consistent efforts are needed to eliminate the disease, reports have acknowledged. 'Filariasis is the common term for a group of diseases caused by parasitic nematodes belonging to the superfamily Filarioidea. Adult worms of these parasites live in the lymphatic system, cutaneous tissues or body cavity of the humans and are transmitted through vectors', explains a documents from the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control. Filariasis caused by nematodes that live in the human lymph system is called Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). The burden of lymphatic filariasis is massive in India, with as many as 670 million persons at risk for the disease, according to a report published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research in 2022. While the disease has been around for decades in India, there still exist many misconceptions about it, says S. Sabesan, former director of the Indian Council of Medical Research -- Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry. Kerala's story with filariasis Kerala was instrumental in spotlighting filariasis in India. In 1984-85, a group of filariasis affected persons in Alappuzha formed an association, and its president contested the general election that year, aiming to attract the attention of politicians and bureaucrats. It bore fruit. A Member of Parliament from Kerala S. Krishna Kumar, became the deputy minister in the Union Health Ministry. He called for action against filariasis in Kerala, which set the ball rolling, recalls Dr. Sabesan. Kerala's culture of associations helped to further the project of eliminating filariasis, he says. All associations were amassed under the umbrella of the Filariasis control movement or 'Filco' movement. The project targeted removing floating vegetation where mosquitoes that cause the disease breed. The mosquitoes lay eggs on leaves and the larvae absorb oxygen from the air sacs in the roots of the plants. Understanding the breeding pattern of the mosquitoes helped remove the floating vegetation, which was then placed as manure in coconut groves. To control mosquitoes the State Health Department also targeted Kerala's large resource of ponds and water bodies to develop aquaculture, using fish from dams. The fish would feed on the larvae, curtailing mosquito breeding. Interdepartmental support Support also came from Kerala's Agriculture Department which saw the potential of improving livelihoods in rural areas. Shramdhan workers cleaned temple tanks, canals and water bodies, and NABARD pitched in with financial support to remove the plants, and establish aquaculture. In two years, inland fisheries had been developed. To add value to the removed water vegetation, hemp was cultivated. This improved the quality of fertilisers that coconut groves received. Ultimately, the Health Department roped in the Education Department to raise an army of schoolchildren who could spread awareness to help improve adherence to treatment of the disease. The Health Department also used the knowledge of how village residents checked the feet of eligible young women to check if they harboured the disease before offering a marriage proposal. The Department made a young woman with lymphatic oedema, in whose family many women had been rejected owing to the disease, their mascot. The young woman recovered from filariasis after treatment and this boosted people's confidence. Her story was made into a short film, Yudham (war) and exhibited, giving further fillip to treating the disease. Alongside, the Department trained Filco workers to detect the disease and bring in patients for treatment. Free clinics were opened to offer treatment. The next step was checking for hidden disease, which involved mass drug administration. Soon, the number of cases fell drastically indicating that the disease was in the elimination stage. A win, and a mass strategy The success of the experiment was shared at the WHO's meeting in 1996 in Kuala Lampur and the World Health Assembly decided on a strategy of administering a single dose of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC). In India, the annual single dose mass therapy was introduced in 2002, but the nation-wide the scheme did not help in eliminating the disease, for want of follow-up care. In 2006, the Union Health Ministry introduced the drug Albandazole that can have an effect on adult worms of the parasite. But there was a lack of compliance, even though the drugs were distributed. The Health Ministry found that despite distributing the drug there, was no reduction in the number of cases. Meanwhile in Kerala another development took place. The salt story Through a project, salt-infused with a low dose of the drug DEC was introduced in Kerala. This project was launched with the support of the salt corporation in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. Within a year, the number of filariasis cases fell significantly. The project's success was expanded in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district in 2003. By 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research launched DEC salt in Andaman and Nicobar and successfully eliminated another variety of filariasis. This salt therapy could be used as an adjunct therapy across the country Dr. Sabesan has said in the white paper he has published on the subject: Not only is it odourless, but it also doesn't change the colour of food and is safe for pregnant women and children as well. For the success to be sustained it is imperative that we achieve the target of elimination, he says. 'Tamil Nadu is doing well. But filariasis is found in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as well. There are areas where filariasis is a challenge. If uncontrolled, filariasis will be reintroduced, as the vector is already present in the atmosphere. The low density carriers will build up gradually. So it is necessary to continue surveillance even after elimination is declared. Vector entomologists must focus on the mosquitoes and the vector,' he emphasises.
