Health budget sees 17.41% rise in allocation

The post-pandemic budget of the state saw 5% of the total budget for 2022-23 being allocated to health, which is Rs. 13,982 crore. This is a substantial increase from last year’s Rs 11,908 crore and from Rs 10,122 crore a year before that.

Experts lauded the increase, considering the economic strain the Covid pandemic put on the state’s coffers.

State Covid task force member Dr C N Manjunath said this is an increase of Rs 2,074 crore from last year’s allocation, a rise of 17.41%.

Dr Sudarshan Ballal, chairman of Manipal Hospitals and another member of the State Covid task force, said ‘the highlight of the budget is the focus on primary care, preventive care, rural health, children’s nutrition and maternal well-being.

However, Dr Prashanth N S, assistant director (research), Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru, said, “The budget has confused health with medicine. Protecting and improving public health is much more than hospitals and beds. We need trained public health cadre within government.”

Putting things in perspective, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said this year’s budget is aimed at augmenting health infrastructure at all three levels - primary, secondary and tertiary. In an effort to win over the forming population, the CM announced reintroducing of the ‘Yashaswini’ scheme with slight modification, with an allocation of Rs 300 crore.

Keeping in mind rising incidents of cardiac problems across the state, the CM announced mapping of 75 taluk hospitals with Jayadeva hospital and providing treatment to people at these hospitals.

In a major boost to promoting mental health, the CM announced the launch of mental health programmes in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru, with support from Nimhans.

He also announced to provide 76 essential life-saving health care services to patients who have met with an accident within 48 hours of admission to the
hospital.

Taking health care to the doorstep of the rural people, mobile clinics have been planned at a cost of Rs 11 crore in Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Haveri and
Chikkamagaluru.

Free eye check-up and necessary surgeries will be funded by the government for senior citizens belonging to BPL families. A new trauma care centre at a cost of Rs 20 crore will be set up in Tumakuru, with an allocation of Rs 10 crore this year.

Acknowledging the hard work of Asha workers, their monthly honorarium has been hiked by Rs 1,000.

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