Agencies
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Written By: Agencies | Published : March 29, 2016 9:39 AM IST
Focusing majorly on health, the Delhi government on Monday hiked its budgetary allocation for public health by Rs.472 crore over last year, and proposed a three-tier health system with opening of 1,000 mohalla (community) clinics and 150 polyclinics in various parts of the city.Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia, who proposed allocation of 16 percent of the total budget to the health sector, also announced 10,000 additional beds in the various city government hospitals over the next two years.Sisodia announced a comprehensive Health Information Management System (HIMS), under which the government will provide health cards to all citizens, with a unique identifier.In the budget, Sisodia proposed Rs.5,259 crore to strengthen the Public Health System. Last year's budget allocation for health was Rs.4,787 crore.Sisodia emphasised the need for better health infrastructure and management to cope with the huge pressure of patients. Over three crore people from Delhi and neighbouring states go for OPD consultations and over six lakh patients take admission across the Delhi hospitals. It is therefore quite important to ensure effective management of the existing health system, Sisodia said.
He announced that all medicines and diagnostic tests have been made free of cost in all Delhi government hospitals with effect from March 1, 2016.He hit out at other state governments and the previous Delhi government, saying that they had deliberately tried to jeopardise the public health sector in order to boost private health service providers for vested gains. He alleged that ministers owned hospitals and schools, which they promoted at the cost of public health and educational institutions.Elaborating on his three-tier health system, which he called the 'Indian model of Health', Sisodia said that the West is citing the Delhi government's mohalla clinic examples to boost their own public health services.The Delhi government has one mohalla clinic that is being run a on pilot basis in North-West Delhi. The first tier would be mohalla (community) clinics to provide immediate remedy or primary care to the public within their locality. The mohalla clinics would have doctors and medicines but not experts. These single-doctor OPDs seek to address most of the common health care scenario where the experts are not needed, Sisodia said.He said that tenders had been rolled out for 1,000 mohalla clinics across Delhi while 100 would be opened immediately in rented buildings. (Read: Delhi elections 2015 results: Will AAP deliver on its healthcare promises?)
The second-tier would be polyclinics, where diagnostic test facilities with specialist doctors will be made available. However, admission facilities like hospitals will not be available. The polyclinics will be connected to the laboratory network throughout Delhi; 150 such polyclinics are planned, 29 have already started functioning, Sisodia said.He added that the first and second -tier of health services would help in reducing excessive crowds from the main hospitals as patients with minor health problems could go to community clinics or polyclinics.The third tier, Sisodia announced, would be hospitals which are being re-modelled and new institutions are being established. The reforms would provide 10,000 additional beds in Delhi by next two years. Health card with unique identifier would be given to citizens. We are also mulling the possibility of connecting the health card system with the school systems in future, Sisodia said.Sisodia also proposed to expand the ambulance fleet with 100 basic and 10 advanced life support ambulances by July 2016.To provide immediate medical help for rape victims, police and counselling service would be provided at 'One Stop Centres'. He proposed two such centres at Rao Tula Ram Memorial Hospital and Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital. Five such centres are already functional.The government has proposed an outlay of Rs.70 crore for lab diagnostics, Rs.10 crore for Tele Radiology and Rs.5 crore for CT/MRI facilities -- on public-private-partnership basis.
Delhi's AAP government on Monday unveiled a budget of Rs.46,600 crore for 2016-17, with education and health cornering the lion's share for a second straight year. Education was allotted Rs.10,690 crore, or 23 percent of the total, and healthcare Rs.5,259 crore, a hike of Rs.472 crore over last year's budget, Finance Minister Manish Sisodia announced in the assembly. Sisodia, who is also the deputy chief minister, said: The highest allocation this year has been for eduction. He said Rs.4,645 crore of the total had been allocated under the plan head. Taking a dig at the BJP and Congress, Sisodia said: We are increasing the education budget every year whereas the central government, irrespective of the political party in power, has been decreasing the percentage of budget allocation for education every year. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal praised the budget. This is a budget for the people, for aam aadmi. The health department is being allocated Rs.5,259 crore... Delhi will get 1,000 mohalla (community) clinics and 150 polyclinics, said Sisodia. The allocation for health last year was Rs.4,787 crore. The government planned to add 10,000 additional beds in its hospitals. (Read: Can AAP clean up corruption in healthcare?)
In a major relief for Delhiites, the government would reduce VAT on a slew of products including sweets, namkeens and readymade garments, from 12.5 to five percent. And in a decision taken clearly with an eye on municipal elections due next year, the budget of the three BJP-held municipal bodies -- whose employees have repeatedly gone on strike -- was hiked by over Rs.1,000 crore: from Rs.5,908 crore last year to Rs. 6,919 crore. I hope the MCD will utilise this money to pay the salaries of its employees on time. This is public money and the MCD should not waste it by indulging in corrupt activities. Sisodia said the Aam Aadmi Party government had built 21 new buildings for government schools and these would be functional in July this year. We have constructed 8,000 new classrooms, which are equivalent to the infrastructure of 200 schools. If these schools function in double shifts, they will be equivalent to 400 schools, he said. The Delhi government allocated Rs.350 crore for 'Swaraj Nidhi', a fund to execute projects selected through Mohalla Sabhas. Sisodia also announced implementation of Swaraj Nidhi in all 70 constituencies. (Read: Union Budget 2015-16: Highlights of this year's healthcare)
The planned expenditure of the budget has been pegged at Rs.20,600 crore and non-plan at Rs.26,000 crore. About 95 percent of the budget will be from our own resources, and only five percent will be provided by the central government. Of the total budget, Rs.36,500 crore will come from the taxes collected, said Sisodia. Sisodia said sweets and namkeens were daily consumable items and needed to be made cheaper. VAT on marble was cut from 12.5 to five percent. VAT on watches costing above Rs.5,000 had been proposed to be reduced from a high of 20 percent to 12.5 percent. We tried to bring balance in the rates of goods in Delhi on par with other states to avoid outflow of tax. It was made possible through voluntary compliance, and not through imposition. VAT on battery operated e-rickshaws and hybrid vehicles has been proposed to be reduced from 12.5 percent to 5 percent. On the much-hyped WiFi projects, Sisodia said the government would evaluate the pilot projects and come up with more efficient WiFi system in the national capital. Delhi will get a new Inter-State Bus Terminus at Dwarka, 3,000 new buses including 1,000 in the premium category, two elevated BRT Corridors including from Anand Vihar to Peergarhi (29 km) and from Wazirabad to the Delhi airport (24 km), and Mohalla Rakshak Dals for women's safety. (Read: Union Budget 2014-15: AIIMS top gainer from budget)
The Delhi government on Monday proposed to allocate Rs.5,259 crore for the health department, a hike of Rs.472 crore over last year's budget. Announcing the proposal in the budget, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia said: The health department is being allocated Rs.5,259 crore. Through the money allocated for the health department, Delhi will get 1,000 mohalla (community) clinics and 150 polyclinics in various parts of the city. Last year's budget allocation for health stood at Rs.4,787 crore. He also announced that the Delhi government has planned to add 10,000 additional beds in its various hospitals. We have also decided to take buildings in various parts of the city on rent to open 100 mohalla clinics immediately, said Sisodia.
Source: IANS
Photo source: IANS
