India has taken up the baton to work out a social-welfare healthcare scheme for Indian citizens. With a vision to provide 50 essential generic drugs free of cost to people across the nation from birth to death, the health ministry is looking at devising a healthcare plan that will benefit all sections of society and not just the poor. Presently, India spends only around 1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare annually and the out-of-pocket expenditure amounts to 60%.
“Fifty basic essential drugs address 75% of the healthcare needs of the majority, and we plan to make these available free to everyone, from birth to death,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
The scheme is expected to be based on the Delhi model that was initiated by Harsh Vardhan during his tenure as the capital’s health minister in 1993 and 1998. The World Health Organization had drawn up a list of essential drugs with respect to India’s healthcare requirements for this model which is now likely to be implemented in the whole country.
The programme will be rolled out in phases across India. Basic medicines for ailments like, pain, hypertension, infection, diabetes etc. will be given along with the prescription at government hospitals and dispensaries. Procurement of quality medicine and its judicial use will form the base of this policy which is expected to reach every Indian citizen in the days to come.
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