With healthcare costs becoming a major issue among voters in elections 2019, main political parties like the BJP and the Congress are trying to woo them by promising to improve the situation of health system in the country. While the BJP has promised to take its flagship Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) further by strengthening it in the next five years if it comes to power, the Congress’ ‘Nyay’ manifesto has promised to make full healthcare as the right of every citizen — child, adult and senior citizen.
The Congress has also contested the insurance model of the ABY and promised to double up the health budget to 3 per cent of the GDP coupled with free healthcare services.
On the other hand, the BJP in its manifesto the ‘Sankalp Patra’ said it will ensure healthcare for all and control prices of medicines.
While asserting that annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh to 10.74 crore poor families under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana under Ayushman Bharat is being doled out while at least 17,150 Health and Wellness Centres have become functional. By 2022, at least 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) have been proposed to be set up.
These will have telemedicine and diagnostic laboratory facilities at the HWCs by 2022 to ensure quality primary medical care to the poor at his doorstep, the BJP manifesto said.
To create an essential devices list and a separate pricing policy for medical devices, set up one medical college or Post Graduate medical college in every district by 2024, accelerate the pace of reforms in medical education sector and improve doctor: population ratio by doubling the number of MBBS and Specialist doctors in the country by 2024 and reform para-medical education sector.
Saffron party has also promised to improve immunisation and nutrition programmes by strengthening National Nutrition Mission’s infrastructure and capacity in all Anganwadis and full immunization coverage for all the children and pregnant women by 2022. On eliminating Tuberculosis, the BJP said it will roll out Special Mission to eliminate TB from India by 2025.
BJP has also promised to set up one medical college or post graduate medical college in every district, through public or private participation, by 2024. To start with 75 such medical institutes will be set up by 2022.
Asserting that full healthcare is the right of every citizen - child, adult and senior citizen, the Congress, in its manifesto, has promised that the total government expenditure on healthcare will be doubled to 3 per cent of GDP from current 1 per cent by 2023-24.
Challenging BJP’s AB-PMJAY, the Congress said, “We are of the firm belief that the insurance-based model cannot be the preferred model to provide universal healthcare in our country. Congress promises to vigorously promote and implement the free public hospitals-model to provide universal healthcare.
“Congress promises to enact the Right to Healthcare Act that will guarantee to every citizen the right to healthcare services, including free diagnostics, out-patient care, medicines and hospitalisation through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals,” it stated.
Apart from promising to implement the Clinical Establishments Act, 2010, to bring accountability to the functioning of private and public clinical establishments, the Congress has also promised to promote, and eventually mandate, the digitisation of medical records on the foundation of a robust ICT infrastructure with suitable provisions for privacy, mobility and interoperability.
The Congress also promised to implement the National Mental Health Policy, 2014 and the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 by ensuring that mental healthcare professionals are appointed in all public district hospitals and that mental healthcare services are provided in such hospitals.