India: Allocation on health sidelined during health emergency in Finance Minister’s packages - Statement by Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (18 May 2020)

Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD)

Date: 18.05.2020

Allocation on health sidelined during health emergency in Finance Minister’s packages
- IDPD

The Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) has expressed anguish at total sidelining of allocations on health in the packages announced by the finance minister. In her two hours long speech yesterday she hardly spent 4-5 minutes on health. In a statement Dr S S Soodan - President IDPD, Dr Arun Mitra – Sr. Vice President IDPD, Dr Shakeel Ur Rahman – General Secretary IDPD said that she only provided breakup of the already announced package of 15000 crores by the Prime Minister. Out of which 4000 crores has already been spent, she said. The health sector needs over one lakh crores immediately in this crises and thereafter it has to be a continuous process in the budgets.

As per her speech infectious diseases blocks and test labs will be built at district level. There is no detail as to how much will be the allocation for this. She also talked of upgrading the public health infrastructure. On the contrary only a few months back the government had announced that they are handing over the district hospitals to the private sector. The government must clarify this and issue a policy statement on this. If the public healthcare system has to be strengthened there is an urgent need to increase the GDP spending on public health by at least four times from the present about 1.02%.

Dr Arun Mitra

Sr. Vice President IDPD

SEE THE ORIGINAL PDF VERSION HERE:

Allocation on health sidelined during health emergency in Finance Minister’s packages - Statement by IDPD 18 May 2020 [Signed PDF}