Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday outlined the government’s plans for bringing the country’s economically weaker sections into the ambit of quality healthcare by assuring to provide 50 free essential drugs and health insurance cover for the poor.
He asked the pharmaceutical companies “to tighten their belts if they want a share of the coming boom because the government will not compromise on quality standards and transparency.” The Minister said apart from free drugs, there will be government paid-up health insurance cover for the poor and health insurance with competitive cover insurance for all.
Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) 8th Health Insurance Summit, here, the Minister said: “I have set up committees comprising the best possible academic, administrative and technical experts on public health, institutional strengths and weaknesses and, above all, health insurance. Their interim reports are with me and I can disclose at this stage that the future indeed looks good.”
Dr. Harsh Vardhan said the healthcare boom would stimulate a huge downstream.
