India Wants to Give Half a Billion People Free Health Care
- 6 years ago
India Wants to Give Half a Billion People Free Health Care
The new program, he said, "will free poor people from this big worry." The health care plan, part of the government’s 2018-19
budget presented on Thursday, would offer 100 million families up to 500,000 rupees, or about $7,860, of coverage each year.
1, 2018
NEW DELHI — India announced on Thursday a sweeping plan to give half a billion poor Indians free access to health care, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to address rising demands for greater economic
and social protections before national elections next year.
India’s finance minister, Arun Jaitley, said in a speech to Parliament
that the plan would cover more people than any other government-funded health care program in the world.
Mr. Jaitley said that Indian voters have favored governments that have given them wide-scale health coverage.
It’s the biggest step the government has taken in 20 years in health care," said Dr. Ajay Bakshi, the former chief
executive of Manipal Hospitals, a chain of 16 private hospitals based in the southern city of Bangalore.
If passed by the Indian Parliament and properly funded, the new program would be a vast expansion of health coverage, allowing
people to visit the country’s many private hospitals for needs as varied as cancer treatment and knee replacements.
The new program, he said, "will free poor people from this big worry." The health care plan, part of the government’s 2018-19
budget presented on Thursday, would offer 100 million families up to 500,000 rupees, or about $7,860, of coverage each year.
1, 2018
NEW DELHI — India announced on Thursday a sweeping plan to give half a billion poor Indians free access to health care, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to address rising demands for greater economic
and social protections before national elections next year.
India’s finance minister, Arun Jaitley, said in a speech to Parliament
that the plan would cover more people than any other government-funded health care program in the world.
Mr. Jaitley said that Indian voters have favored governments that have given them wide-scale health coverage.
It’s the biggest step the government has taken in 20 years in health care," said Dr. Ajay Bakshi, the former chief
executive of Manipal Hospitals, a chain of 16 private hospitals based in the southern city of Bangalore.
If passed by the Indian Parliament and properly funded, the new program would be a vast expansion of health coverage, allowing
people to visit the country’s many private hospitals for needs as varied as cancer treatment and knee replacements.