planning commission and AYUSH

Planning Commission raises health allocation Press Trust of India / New Delhi September 15, 2012, 20:25 The Planning Commission today finalised an outlay of Rs 3 lakh crore for the Health Sector in the 12th Five Year Plan, a rise of 288 per cent from the last Plan, accounting for 1.95 per cent of the GDP. Despite a massive hike, the allocation fell short of the Health Ministry's expectation which had sought over Rs 4 lakh crore for the sector from 2012 to 2017. Earlier, the Health Ministry and National Advisory Council led by Sonia Gandhi had expressed its displeasure after the draft chapter on health indicated total public investment on health to be only 1.58 per cent of GDP as against the suggested 2.5 per cent in the Approach Paper. Of the total Rs 3,00,018 crore allocated for the health sector during the Plan, the Department of Health and Family Welfare has been allocated Rs 2,80,551 crore, Department of AYUSH Rs 6,044 crore, the Department of Health Research Rs 4,029 crore and the Department of AIDS Control a total of Rs 9,394 crore. The 12th Plan was approved by the Planning Commission at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today. The Plan document would be brought into effect once the National Development Council (NDC) gives its final nod to it, after the Union Cabinet clears it. Once implemented, the Health Ministry is likely to unveil many of its ambitious programmes including the universal health care, provision of free medicines to all in public healthcare facilities and expanded National Health Mission, which includes the new National Urban Health Mission for the urban population, besides opening of new health institutions. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also raised concerns of the Ministry before the Planning Commission at the meeting. The Health Ministry also opposed the Panel's proposal to change the system of allocation of funds to states under centrally-sponsored health schemes which it wants to monitor directly instead of the Ministry, Commission sources said. (MORE)