Health ministry to implement BJP's poll promises soon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will listen to plans from the Union Health Ministry on how to implement the health promises made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its election manifesto on Thursday.

The plans include a reduction in out-of-pocket expenses on health care for the common man.
The three key proposals include national health assurance mission that aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure; a new national health policy and better regulation of medical education, as well as the pharmaceutical market.

The prime minister would be given a power-point presentation of about 15 slides by the health secretary in the presence of Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and officials from the ministry and the department of pharmaceuticals.

In the presentation – finalised on Tuesday – a structure of the national health assurance mission and the budgetary requirement would be proposed to the prime minister, who would take a call on the mission, sources told Deccan Herald.

“Drugs, health care services and diagnostic facilities will be provided either free or at a nominal price in the proposed mission,” explained an official.