The health industry had great expectations from the Union Budget 2014-15 and most of them were left disappointed by the budget which didn't seem to care about health much. Earlier, when we spoke to Dr Ajay Gambhir of the IMA he told us: 'I had written to the ministry that 3% of GDP should be allotted to NRHM and maternal and child health. But according to the feedback I have received, this number might be a shade lower than what we want. It also seems that they might invest in the private sector as well.'
What he hoped will be included in this year's budget
What they got:
With another dreary approach to the needs of public health, the Finance Minister totally side-lined all these issues. Not only has not provided any kind of aid to the underprivileged but he has also not addressed the grave healthcare state we are in as a country. The only positive angle to all this is that he has allotted Rs 500 crore to building 10 new AIIMS hospitals all across the country. The mushrooming of one of the country's best government-run hospitals might be a shot in the arm for our failing healthcare system.
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