Lok Sabha Elections 2014 -- what the Congress Manifesto promises for the nation's health

The Indian National Congress' 2014 manifesto highlights their achievements in the health sector and also promises a 'Right to Health' bill.

The Congress 2014 Lok Sabha Elections manifesto makes a promise to provide the Right to Health bill; increase health spends to 3% of GDP and also promises an end to open defecation. They also promise to start a new three-year course in public health to create a new cadre of healthcare workers. They also focus on fighting HIV and protecting the girl child. Here's what the Congress promises in the healthcare sector:

We will strengthen health infrastructure and provide mobile healthcare vans to provide every Indian access to quality healthcare.

What We Have Done

Years back, we wiped out smallpox. Under UPA, we liberated India from the clutches of Polio in 2011. We spent four times more on healthcare than NDA. For the first time India got a cashless insurance program that has helped millions. Infant mortality rate plummeted and adult life expectancy increased by five years.

What We Plan To Do

The Congress will bring Right to Health and ensure everybody has access to quality healthcare. Health expenditure will be increased to 3% of GDP. Functional toilets will be ensured for every school and household. We will introduce a three-year diploma course in public health. By 2020, our target is to create 6o lakh new jobs in the health sector.

• Increasing Health Spending: Pledge to bring Right to Health and provide every Indian access to quality healthcare. Health expenditure will be increased to 3% of GDP.
• Mobile Healthcare Facilities: Five state-of-the-art healthcare vans equipped with X-ray machines and other apparatus for carrying out tests like mammography, blood analysis will be stationed in every district.
• Investing in Infrastructure Strengthen primary healthcare infrastructure right up to the point of community health centres. Ensure functional toilets for every school and every household.
• Creating Health Sector Jobs Create 60 lakh new jobs in the health sector by 2020.
• Bringing Care to the Poor: Expand the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana.
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Children: Launch a focussed programme to improve the Child Sex Ratio as part of National Strategy for Care and Protection of the Girl Child.

Also read what the Aam Aadmi Party's manifesto promises for the nation's health?

Other articles on healthcare:

• Can the private sector reduce India's TB burden?
• How Google Glass can change healthcare
• Are those expensive tests really required?
• Do any of our politicians care about the nation's health?
• Was ex-health secretary Keshav Desi Raju's transfer justified?

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