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Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General, Association of Healthcare Providers (AHPI), asked the government to increase budget allocation on health to at least 2.5 percent of GDP to meet its objective of having universal health coverage while flagging the World Health Organisation requirement of 3.5 beds per 1000 people.
Speaking to ANI ahead of the interim budget, Dr Gyani said, "Adult vaccination should be subsidised. (The government should) launch adult vaccination at subsidised rates as a preventive measure among vulnerable populations, including influenza, HPV for women to prevent cervical cancer, pneumococcal disease, and zoster.". "We need basic health infrastructure across the nation to ensure the availability and accessibility of hospital beds. We need to add more than double the number of beds to match the WHO requirement of 3.5 beds per 1000 people." He further said that AHPI expects the government to incentivize the private sector to build 100-bed Ayushman hospitals in Tier-III towns by providing cheaper capital, providing cheaper electricity at the industry rate, and "providing for single window clearance for compliances." "The government needs to increase budget provision on health to at least 2.5 percent of GDP, without which it will be difficult to meet the government objective of having universal health coverage," he added. He said that this will also help to increase the beneficiary base within PMJAY among the underprivileged population. He further asked for an enhanced budget for promotional and preventive healthcare by way of sanitation, safe drinking water, and nutrition. The Budget session of Parliament, the last session before the general elections expected in April-May, will begin on January 31 and is likely to continue till February 9. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim budget on February 1. The session will begin with President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. The interim Budget typically takes care of the fiscal needs of the intervening period till a government is formed after the Lok Sabha polls. A meeting of the floor leaders of various political parties in both Houses of Parliament will be convened on Tuesday by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi. (ANI)
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