Title: A First Step
[The National Health Protection Mission requires a bold,
holistic (समग्र)
approach]
The NDA government’s scheme to provide health cover of ₹5
lakh per year to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families through the Ayushman
Bharat-National Health Protection Mission has taken a step forward with the
Union Cabinet approving the modalities of its implementation.
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Considering the small window, just over a
year, available before the term of the present government ends, urgent action
is needed to roll out such an ambitious scheme.
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For a start, the apex council that will steer
the programme and the governing board to operationalise it in partnership with
the States need to be set up.
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Since the NHPM represents the foundation for
a universal health coverage system that should eventually cover all Indians, it
needs to be given a sound legal basis, ideally through a separate law.
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It will also enable much-needed regulatory
control over pricing of hospital-based treatments.
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The initial norms set for availing benefits
under the NHPM, which subsumes earlier health assurance schemes, appear to make
the inclusion of vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, women and children
contingent on families meeting other criteria, except in the case of Scheduled
Caste and Scheduled Tribe households.
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The government should take the bold step of
including these groups universally
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Universal health coverage is defined by the
WHO as a state when “all people obtain the health services they need without
suffering financial hardship when paying for them”.
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This underscores the importance of raising
not just core budgetary spending every year, but paying attention to social
determinants of health. Affordable housing, planned urban development,
pollution control and road safety are some aspects vital for reducing the
public health burden.
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Unfortunately, governments are paying little
attention to these issues, as the quality of life erodes even with steady
economic growth.
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It is a challenging task to make all this a
reality, and the government will have to work hard to put it in place.
Vocabulary
- Modalities (noun) - modal quality (तौर- तरीके)
- Ambitious (adj.) - aspiring, determined (महत्वकांशी)
- Steer (Verb) - guide, direct (मार्गदर्शन करना)
- Subsumed (Verb) - include or absorb (सम्मलित करना)
- Vulnerable(Adj.) -in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect. (endangered, unsafe, unprotected)
- Contingent(Adj.) - dependent Incidental, Emergent (आकस्मिक)
