Public health investment has substantially increased: Economic Survey

New Delhi, Mar 15 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who presented the Economic Survey 2011-12 in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, said that there has been an increase in public health investment in the country.

The combined revenue and capital expenditure of the Centre and States on medical and public health, water supply and sanitation and family welfare has increased from Rs.53,057.80 crore in 2006-07 to Rs. 96,672.79 crore in 2010-11.

"In addition to increasing resource allocation for the health sector the government is also playing a critical role in facilitating access to health care delivery channels, public and private through subsidized health, insurance schemes like the Rasthriya Swasthaya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for providing basic health care to poor and marginal workers. The RSBY is being extended to cover MGNREGA beneficiaries and beedi workers," said Mukherjee.

"A sum of Rs. 1437 crore has been allocated to the states during 2011-12 under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). In order to reach out to difficult, inaccessible, backward and under-served areas with poor health indicators, 264 high focus districts in 21 states have been identified based on concentration of SC/ST population and presence of left wing extremism for focused attention," he added.

Mukherjee also pointed out that the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which targets lowering of Maternal Mortality Ratio by ensuring that deliveries are conducted by skilled birth attendants, has shown rapid growth in last three years, with number of beneficiaries rising to 106.96 lakh in 2010-11 from 90.37 lakh in 2008-09, with the issue of governance, transparency, and grievance redressal mechanisms being the thrust areas for the JSY. (ANI)