Game-changer: Docs

Health insurance is a

Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley on Thursday budget announced the ‘National Health Security Scheme’, the world's largest healthcare scheme. Under the programme, Jaitley announced a new Flagship National Health Protection Scheme, providing health insurance cover of Rupees 5 lakhs per family per year. Most of the doctors claim that health insurance would be a game changer in the future. This would help poor patients to procure treatment that would indirectly help in decreasing the burden of diseases.

“NATHEALH had recommended making health insurance mandatory and National Health Protection Scheme partly covers the insurance needs of the country. However, there are other critical needs which remain unmet,”said Anjan Bose, Secretary General, NATHEALTH.

It is a very welcome step taken by the government of India to provide subsidised healthcare for the poor in the country. “The only challenge here from an infrastructure perspective is to build the essential point of care network to deliver these benefits to the patients. It is a grand move by the government towards strengthening Aarogya Bharat,” said Dr. Sujit Chatterjee, CEO, Hiranandani Hospital.

“Apart from this, there should be some big announcement on Mental Health. The number of patients suffering from mental problems in the country is increasing, in such a situation the government should have given special attention to this in the budget,” said Dr Sagar Mundada, psychiatrist practising at Bhabha Hospital, president IMA, Youth Wing Maharashtra.

“The insurance plan is a good initiative, but the government needs to focus more on improving the infrastructure so that poor people can procure better treatment,” said Dr Vishal Beri, CEO, Hinduja Healthcare Surgical, Khar.