( is yet to be taken. With the gove...)Free Medicines, Health Insurance for Poor Soon: Paswan,Health

is yet to be taken.

With the government announcing plans of raising the budgetary allocation for the health sector from 0.9 percent of GDP to 2-3 percent, Paswan said the additional resources would make it possible to offer health insurance to the poor in rural and urban areas.

"In addition to the proposed hike in health allocation, there is the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, the Health Minister's Relief Fund and other contingency funds that can be utilised to provide facilities for the poor," said Paswan.

Another important step proposed by the ministry is offering free or subsidised medication for critical illnesses like cancer and HIV/AIDS.

"The policy will address the need to provide subsidised drugs for critical or life-threatening diseases that require expensive treatment. In the case of BPL population, we hope to offer free medication. But for those above poverty line (APL), (we will) provide drugs at 50 percent subsidised rates," Paswan added.

The innovative step may introduce a new model of drug purchase by state-run hospitals.

"We have proposed that government hospitals procure medicines for treatment of cancer, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other critical illness directly from the manufactures and thereby eliminate the 15 percent wholesaler and 35 percent retailer margin," said Paswan.

"This is an achievable goal as we have closely studied the Rajasthan formula, which has succeeded in providing cheaper medicines to patients," he said.

The inspiration behind this is the state-run Rajasthan Medicare Relief Society that directly procures medicines from manufacturers and sells to patients with a limited mark-up price.

Source-IANS
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