More wealth for health, but no roadmap to increase staff

CHANDIGARH The Congress government may have given thrust to revamp health infrastructure with 14.21% increase in budgetary allocation as compared to last fiscal, but it has failed to propose a roadmap for recruiting doctors, technicians and other staff.

Even during the question hour, health minister Brahm Mohindra admitted manpower shortage, right from the level of ambulance drivers to specialised doctors.

The budget, however, focuses on government’s drive against drugs as a provision of ₹50 crore has been made for setting up primary rural rehabilitation and drug de-addiction centres .

The budget also introduced restructured universal health insurance scheme that would cover tertiary care treatment. The scheme, for which an initial provision of ₹100 crore has been made, will provide primary and secondary health coverage, along with accidental and disability cover. The scheme will help reduce out-of-pocket expenditure of beneficiaries.

The government also proposed to transform at least 3,000 health centres into “health and wellness clinics”. The government decided to make 200 centres operational this year.

A provision of ₹10 crore has been made for opening a medical college in Mohali. The government will also set up tertiary care centres with a cost of ₹50 crore in Fazilka and Hoshiarpur for cancer patients.

A provision of ₹42.42 crore has been made for Bal Swasthya Karyakram, under which health check-up of children in anganwadi centres and schools will be done twice a year for 30 diseases.