Bad budget for nation’s health

Budget 2020-21 brings bad news for the public health sector.

Government has slashed the budgets for all funded hospitals.

This includes, the AIIMS, Delhi, JIPMER, Pondicherry and PGI, Chandigarh.

The funds have been slashed from 10,502.9 crores to 9,948.2 crores this year.

The cut in funds comes to 554.7 crore for 12 major government hospitals.

These hospitals treat lakhs of patients free each year.

They might have to either cut down services or start charging patients.

The ultimate impact would be on the poorest patients.

Training hospitals will be forced to increase the fees of students.

Inspite of 100% utilization of allocated funds, these hospitals have faced cuts.

For all hospitals, there’s either a decrease or an increase of under 0.5%...

...which clearly doesn’t cover inflation, meaning in real terms their budgets have been cut.

Ayushman reimbursements will also be insufficient to meet the exceeded budgets.

The scheme was allocated Rs 6,400 crore in the budget for 2019-20 and an identical amount in the latest Budget.

  Only Rs 2,130 crore or 33.3% of its allocation was spent till November 21 last year.

66% patients availed the treatment from private hospitals.

The budget cut will adversely affect the medical services offered by these hospitals.

Nation's health is now at stake due to government's failed economics.