Healthcare Needs a Booster Shot

Public spending on health in India, even among countries in our economic bracket, is low. While there are generally wide variations even among countries with similar incomes, the British medical journal Lancet, in a study published in April, suggests that in more developed countries, governments are responsible for the bulk of spending on health. The National Health Policy 2017 includes a resolve to increase health spending to 2.5% of GDP in a ‘time-bound manner’. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends spending at least 5% of GDP.