Investing in Health: Minding the Caveats
Keywords:
Union Budget 2021, COVID-19, social determinants of health, primary care, universal health coverage, public health in India
Abstract
The Union Budget 2021-22, despite registering a considerable increase in allocation for health and wellness, failed to meet expectations with respect to healthcare-proper. Though large health gains can result from investing in social determinants of health, they don’t necessarily denote a strong and resilient healthcare system. Prioritization of primary care investments has unquestionable ethical and economic bases. However, reducing the expenditure share of hospital care in the absence of expanding budgets could further weaken the fund-starved public hospital sector in India. As COVID-19 prods greater attention towards the health sector, our approach to health investments must be balanced and wise.
References
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4. Office of National Statistics [Internet]. Healthcare expenditure, UK Health Accounts: 2018. 2020 April 28 [Cited 2020 Feb 17]. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/ healthandsocialcare/healthcaresystem/ bulletins/ukhealthaccounts/2018.
2. Bhaduri SD. Comparing COVID-19 pandemic responses of three South Asian countries - Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The Indian Practitioner. 2020 Nov;73(11):7-14.
3. Bhaduri SD. Ayushman Bharat and universal health coverage in India: is our approach ethical? Indian J. Med. Ethics. Forthcoming.
4. Office of National Statistics [Internet]. Healthcare expenditure, UK Health Accounts: 2018. 2020 April 28 [Cited 2020 Feb 17]. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/ healthandsocialcare/healthcaresystem/ bulletins/ukhealthaccounts/2018.
Published
2021-02-27
How to Cite
Dr. Soham D. Bhaduri. (2021). Investing in Health: Minding the Caveats. The Indian Practitioner, 74(2), 7-8. Retrieved from http://articles.theindianpractitioner.com/index.php/tip/article/view/1119
Section
Editorial
