Patient-centric health policy unveiled by govt

New Delhi: Aimed at providing “free and assured” healthcare services to all, the government Thursday unveiled a “patient-centric” National Health Policy that stresses on “preventive” and “promotive” healthcare and seeks to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.   

“Every one every in the country will be given assured health services. Every section of society belonging to any financial status, whosoever comes to our public health facility, will get assured services. From sick care policy of 2002 we are moving towards patient-centric policy and the patient has been empowered,” Union health minister J.P. Nadda said.  

The policy, which was drafted in 2014 and went though an exhaustive consultation after finally getting cleared by the Cabinet Wednesday, also intends to empower patients by setting up tribunals where an aggrieved person can seek redressal of grievances over treatment.

“The policy envisages the creation of National Health Care Standards Organisation which will formulate guidelines and protocols for healthcare while there is a provision of establishing a separate empowered tribunal for speedy resolution of disputes and complaints,” the minister said.

He said there will be a periodic measurement of quality for both public and private institutions. “The institution’s grading, facilities provided and their quality levels will be checked,” Mr Nadda said.

Proposing to raise public healthcare expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP from the current 1.4 per cent, the policy also has a “target oriented” commitment for elimination of diseases.

“The government is committed to investing in health and more and more money will be pumped in the sector,” Union health secretary C.K. Mishra said.

The minister said that the new policy has been drafted keeping in view the shift from communicable diseases to non-communicable disease, which is growing and causing over 60 per cent of deaths at present.