User charges may be levied in Govt. hospitals

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 4. The Centre has proposed to levy user charges in all Government medical institutions for patients with incomes above the poverty level. The proposal forms part of the new health policy that is currently under formulation.

The Union Health Minister, Dr. C.P. Thakur, told reporters here today that the measure has been thought of with a view to raise resources for the proper maintenance and upgradation of the health facilities. The health centres would be allowed to spend the collections for improving their infrastructure.

The policy would also envisage a massive infusion of public fund into the health sector. At present, the Government expenditure came to about one per cent of the GDP, with the private sector and the household contributing another five per cent of the GDP. The proposal is to increase the Government's outlay to 2.5 per cent of the GDP over the next 10 years, he said. In addition, it would envisage greater focus on improving the medicare facilities at the grassroot level. The aim would be to earmark as much as 50 per cent of the outlay on primary level, followed by 35 per cent on secondary and 15 per cent on tertiary levels. The present scenario was 38 per cent, 34 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

The policy, Dr. Thakur said, would also seek to develop a separate, strong body for prevention of food adulteration and clearance for new drugs on the lines of the Food and Drug Authority of the U.S. and set minimum standards for private medical institutions and diagnostic centres.

Asked about the recent controversy over the proposal of the Chhatisgarh Chief Minister, Mr. Ajit Jogi, to have three- year medical courses to meet health care needs in rural areas, Dr. Thakur said the Centre was studying the proposal. For instance, one could not ignore the fact that doctors declined to serve in rural areas, despite several incentives. But, at the same time, for the sake of expediency one could not deny quality medicare to the people in rural areas.

Dr. Thakur, who has just returned from a meeting of the programme coordinating board of the UNAIDS at Geneva, said India had made it clear at the meeting that the proposed global fund for the control of HIV, TB and malaria should have separate windows for each of the diseases and that it should not in any way be used to help drug multinationals to push their products into the markets of the developing world.

Dr. Thakur, who presided over the meet in his capacity as the chairperson of the board, said India had also emphasised that developing countries should have adequate representation in the administration of the fund and that it should be used essentially to finance national programmes both for prevention and care and support.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Environment: the story remains unaltered
Next     : Food for Work scheme on till Sept. in drought-hit
           States