PM Narendra Modi’s ‘health for all’ to take off in January

NEW DELHI: The ambitious plan of the Modi government to provide “health for all” is all set to kick-start in January, with the health ministry likely to make a final presentation to the prime minister’s office (PMO) on Tuesday detailing the proposed National Health Assurance Mission (NHAM).

The scheme proposes to offer a basket of services including 50 essential medicines, a package of diagnostic services to the people.

The new scheme will make it mandatory for the hospitals to make available basket of drugs and diagnostics free of cost.

Also, if those drugs and diagnostics are not available with them, it will become their responsible to make arrangements for the patients for it getting it done from another center.

Also, to make it easier for people, the scheme comes with a strong grievance mechanism system.

“The plan is to introduce the scheme in a phased wise manner. If all goes well in the final presentation, we plan to put it up in public domain on January 1.

So that it can be introduced thereafter,” sources said. The proposed scheme is expected to reduce out of pocket expenses on health care.

According to sources, the drugs will include widely used life saving drugs, the other drugs will be picked from the list of essential drugs.

The diagnostics tests will include all routine tests, X rays, blood tests etc. “The scheme is all about making it mandatory for the healthcare centers to provide free drugs and diagnostics.

Since, the patients will be entitled to get free drugs, the healthcare centers will henceforth not shrug off their responsibility and send away patients to other centers,” sources said.

While, the scheme will be kickstarted in government hospitals, sources say that private players will also be roped in.