Srinath Reddy Panel Report on Universal Health Care by Month-end: Montek

The report on universal health insurance coverage for all by the K. Srinath Reddy Committee of Experts is expected by the end of this month. The panel has been appointed by the Prime Minister. Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, said that the Planning Commission will ensure that the allocation of resources to the health sector would be significantly increased in the 12th Plan.

During the 11th Plan the public expenditure on health was 1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). In the 12th Plan this is proposed to be raised between 2 to 3 per cent.

Addressing the ‘FICCI HEAL 2011’conference here on Friday, Mr Ahluwalia said that the Planning Commission expects FICCI to give its feedback on the Srinath Reddy Committee’s report before the end of November to enable the planners to firm up their views for inclusion in the 12th Plan (2012-17) document.

Under the proposed universal health insurance scheme, the premium may be linked to income levels of the beneficiaries, although the government may pay the entire premium for those below the poverty line. The scheme may encompass treatment at listed hospitals, apart from hospitalization expenses. He said that an alarming finding of the Census 2011 study was the acute shortage of medical personnel. Worse, the qualifications of 50 per cent of doctors recorded in the Census documents show that they do not have a degree beyond the secondary level.

Mr Ahluwalia called for taking up workable public private partnership schemes as such partnership was a cost-effective way for treatment in private hospitals.

Earlier, he released the FICCI Knowledge Paper on the healthcare sector and also gave away awards for a poster competition on the theme ‘Innovations in Healthcare’.

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Source-Medindia