Union Budget 2013: Too little for ailing sector

RANCHI: The medical fraternity in Jharkhand criticized the Union Budget for its lack of foresightedness.
Former national vice-president of the Indian Medical Association Ajay Kumar Singh said allocating major component of the health budget to National Health Mission, which now comprises rural and urban areas, will open the gates of corruption. "There has been a slight increase in the health budget to Rs 37,330 core over the revised estimates of the last year's budget, but a huge component of Rs 21,239 crore has been allotted for the NHM, which has been a centre of corruption," he added.
Reminding the government of the fact that 14 doctors have been killed in Uttar Pradesh and the top brass of the health department in Jharkhand is in jail for siphoning off money meant for rural health mission, Singh said without devising a mechanism to monitor investment and introduce proper checks and balances, there was no point allocating a huge sum to the health projects. Describing the net allocation as peanuts in the wake of impending requirement in the health sector, Singh said no provision had been made for additional medical, nursing and paramedical colleges.
The idea of introducing geriatric centres has been welcomed though the experts have taken it with a pinch of salt. Senior doctor with a government hospital Rajesh Kumar said 8% of Indian population comprised senior citizens who were denied coverage under most of the health insurance policies. "Rs 150 crore if calculated as per population in the age bracket of senior citizens would entitle each one of them for around Rs 150 annually which is abysmally low," he said.
Another member of Jharkhand IMA Rajiv Kumar said no medical college was complete without a hospital and allocation of Rs 1,650 crore for hospital infrastructure for the regional centres of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was illogical when they were already commissioned. "This amount could have been allocated for establishment of new hospitals," he said.
Union Budget 2013
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