A health activists’ group here on Wednesday called upon the political parties in Rajasthan to make their stand clear on the health care policies and give an assurance for implementing universal health care in their manifestoes for the upcoming State Assembly election.
It said the parties should take steps in particular for a higher per capita expenditure in the health sector.
The latest health indicators in Rajasthan have revealed that the State's citizens suffer from a higher burden of morbidity and premature mortality than the national average. The health care delivery system was not accessible to the majority of the population and there was “no political commitment” to improve the citizens’ health status, the Rajasthan Jan Swasthya Abhiyan said here.
Private facilities
Abhiyan’s convenor Narendra Gupta said more than 65% patients seeking medical care in the State had to depend on private health system even for the treatment of minor ailments. “Infections like malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhoea, respiratory ailments and viral fevers are very high,” he said.
The Rajasthan Jan Swasthya Abhiyan functions as the State chapter of People’s Health Movement.
It stated that the parties locked in the electoral battle should commit themselves in their manifestoes to reducing out-of-pocket expenditure from currently 66.6% of the total expenditure of medical care to less than 30%, besides ensuring that 80% of the patients received primary medical care from the public health system.
Dr. Gupta, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Chittorgarh, said the State’s per capita health spending should be increased from ₹740 per year to a minimum of ₹2,000 in the first two years and ₹2,500 in the next five years.
”There should be an effective grievance redressal system to respond to adverse medical consequences,” he said.
Right to Health Act
The medical activist said the next government in the State should enact the Right to Health Act and make it justiciable, so that no citizen was deprived of quality health care and it was freely available without any financial and geographical barrier. Besides, the provisions of the Clinical Establishments Act should be strictly implemented to ensure medical audits of the institutions in both public and private sectors.
