Planning Commission allocation will see significant rise
The K. Srinath Reddy Committee of Experts, appointed by the Prime Minister to suggest universal health insurance coverage, is expected to submit its report by month-end, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said on Friday.
At the same time, the Commission would ensure that allocation for the health sector was significantly increased in the 12th Plan, he said. During the 11th Plan, the public expenditure on health was one per cent of Gross Domestic Product. In the 12th Plan, this was proposed to be raised to between two and three per cent.
Addressing the ‘FICCI HEAL 2011' conference here, Mr. Ahluwalia said the Commission expected the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to give its feedback on the Srinath Reddy report before November-end for the planners to firm up their views for inclusion in the 12th Plan (2012-17) document.
Under the proposed scheme, the premium may be linked to the income levels of the beneficiaries, although the government may pay the entire premium for those Below the Poverty Line. The scheme may encompass treatment in listed hospitals, apart from hospitalisation expenses.
Mr. Ahluwalia said an alarming finding of Census 2011 was the acute shortage of medical personnel. Worse, the qualifications of 50 per cent of doctors recorded in the Census documents showed that they did not have a degree beyond the secondary level.
Earlier, Mr. Ahluwalia released the FICCI Knowledge Paper on the healthcare sector and gave away awards to winners of a poster competition on the theme ‘Innovations in Healthcare.'