Plan panel for strengthening of public health system: Montek

“There is lot of confusion whether we (the Commission) are privatising the health system. This is actually false. We have categorically said that public sector part of the health system has to be hugely strengthened,” he said.

Recently,Jan Swasthya Abhiyan,a body of health activists,charged the government with planning to abandon its role of providing healthcare to the people.

” We (the Commission) are at the moment getting views (on Health Chapter in 12th Plan). The chapter will be finalised by the end of this month.

“Health activists and advocates would want that total expenditure of centre and state during the 12th Plan period should go up to 2.5 per cent of GDP. But there are resource constraints,” Ahluwalia added.

“Our preliminary assessment is that if we are going to do a lot more in clean drinking water and sanitation side….if you add that to curative health,then it (health expenditure) would reach up to the level (2.5 per cent of GDP) they are talking about,” he further said

“If you talk only about curative health then it may not be possible to reach the 2.5 per cent of GDP during the current Plan…there are resource constraints and there are other priorities also,” he added.