Budget 2014: Promise of free drugs, health for everyone

New Delhi: Aiming to ensure “Health for All,” the Union government on Thursday promised to take up on priority initiatives like providing free drugs and diagnostic services earmarked Rs 39,237.82 crore for the health sector.

In his maiden budget speech, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the government has also decided to set up 15 model rural health research centres in states for better healthcare facilities in rural India.

Mr Jaitley said Rs 500 crore has been allocated for a plan to set up four more AIIMS-like institutes in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidarbha in Ma-harashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh.

He also proposed to add 12 government medical colleges, where dental facilities would also be provided. At present, 58 government medical colleges have been approved.

The allocation to the health sector was up by merely 5 per cent from Rs 37,330 crore proposed in the last budget by the previous Congress-led UPA government in the last budget.

The National Health Mission has been earmarked a total of Rs 21,912 crore, up 16 per cent from Rs 18,880 crore proposed for it in the last budget.

For the first time, the Union government will provide central assistance to strengthen the States’ Drug Regulatory and Food Regulatory Systems by creating new drug testing laboratories and strengthening the 31 existing state laboratories, he said.

However for the differently-abled, there isn’t much in the offing. The Union Budget has promised financial assistance to states for setting up Braille presses and the extension of a scheme to allow the disabled to purchase contemporary assistive devices.