Ahmedabad: A data submitted in Rajya Sabha on July 20 gives a state budget spending snapshot for health & family welfare from the Central Allocation of the National Health Mission (NHM).
The numbers indicate that Gujarat’s health expenditure increased by 18% from 2017-18 to 2020-21 – from Rs 1,593 Crore to Rs 1,894 Crore.
Comparing figures with other countries, in the same period Odisha increased budget expenditure of 55%, Maharashtra 51%, Rajasthan 50% and Madhya Pradesh 47%.
Among major countries, only Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were behind Gujarat.
Year-to-year increase was only 1.6% from 2019-20 to 2020-21.
RS data further revealed that 93% of funds in 2020-21 went to rural areas (national rural health missions) and the remaining 7% to urban areas (national urban health missions).
This year is the most important for health expenses because the pandemics are swept away throughout the region and cause high death in several cities including Ahmedabad and letters.
“Analysis of funds and expenditure is important because the contribution of the country itself for the department remains low,” said a public health expert based in the city.
“Apart from the direction of the Indian government spent at least 8% of the total budget in the health sector, our contribution floated around 5%.” TII previously reported that the 2017 National Health Policy categorically instructed the state to increase health expenditure as a percentage of GDP from existing 1.15% to 2.5%.
In the case of Gujarat, that number remains around 0.6% of GDP.
For the year of the Pandemic and the third wave preparation that is possible, the state government aims to fill up a vacant position, improve physical health infrastructure, get oxygen and drugs, and also invest in supervision in the field.
Senior health department officials are not available to comment on how the current allocation matches the requirements.
“The majority of spots, existing infrastructure are raised for Covid treatment, or emergency hospitals made in cities such as Ahmedabad.
Is the preparation for the third wave will be different from the first two?” Asked an expert.