The Federal Government of India will increase the total health expenditure from the current 1.15 percent of gross domestic product to 2.5 percent with more finance flow to the states in a bid to achieve universal health coverage for its citizens.
Federal minister for health, J.P. Nadda said, “The Government, through the 14th Finance Commission, increased devolution of finances from 32% to 42% of divisible pool—an increase estimated at $388 billion to provide States with greater flexibility and autonomy to design, implement, and finance [health] projects.”
Mint reports other measures announced by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
- 150,000 health and wellness centers for providing comprehensive primary care.
- Universal screening for common non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and common cancers, for which $149 billion (Rs 955 crore) was sanctioned in the 2017 budget.
- A bigger investment on improving maternal health.
- Better training, reinforcement, and mentoring for healthcare workers.