Economic Survey Highlights Rising Affordability and Accessibility in Healthcare

The Ministry of Finance has announced strides in making healthcare more affordable and accessible to the general public, as highlighted in the Economic Survey 2023-2024 tabled by Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, in Parliament on Monday.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Finance, the Survey indicates that the latest National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates for FY20 reveal an increase in both the share of Government Health Expenditure (GHE) in the total GDP and the share of GHE in Total Health Expenditure (THE).

Over the years, the share of primary healthcare expenditure has risen from 51.3 percent of GHE in FY15 to 55.9 percent in FY20. Additionally, the share of primary and secondary care in GHE has increased from 73.2 percent in FY15 to 85.5 percent in FY20. Conversely, the share of primary and secondary care in private health expenditure has decreased from 83.0 percent to 73.7 percent, attributed to the rising burden of tertiary diseases and greater use of government facilities for primary healthcare, read the press release.

The Survey also highlights a notable increase in social security expenditure on health, growing from 5.7 percent in FY15 to 9.3 percent in FY20, alongside a reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) as a percentage of THE between FY15 and FY20. As a result of these changes, the Survey points to improvements in key health indicators, such as a decline in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2013 to 28 per 1,000 live births in 2020, and a decrease in the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) from 167 per lakh live births in 2014 to 97 per lakh live births in 2020, read the press release.

Looking ahead, the Survey recommends two crucial trends for the country’s future health and disease profile: prioritizing healthy eating and mental health, and emphasizing the role of state and local governance in ensuring that national health programs effectively reach all communities.

With Inputs from ANI

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