The Indian Practitioner

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Investing in Health: Minding the Caveats


Affiliations
1 Executive Editor, The Indian Practitioner; Physician and Public Health Researcher and Commentator, Mumbai, India
     

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The Union Budget 2021-22, despite registering a considerable increase in allocation for health and wellness, failed to meet expectations with respect to healthcare-proper. Though large health gains can result from investing in social determinants of health, they don’t necessarily denote a strong and resilient healthcare system. Prioritization of primary care investments has unquestionable ethical and economic bases. However, reducing the expenditure share of hospital care in the absence of expanding budgets could further weaken the fund-starved public hospital sector in India. As COVID-19 prods greater attention towards the health sector, our approach to health investments must be balanced and wise.

Keywords

Union Budget 2021, COVID-19, Social Determinants of Health, Primary Care, Universal Health Coverage, Public Health in India.
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  • Investing in Health: Minding the Caveats

Abstract Views: 263  |  PDF Views: 1

Authors

Soham D. Bhaduri
Executive Editor, The Indian Practitioner; Physician and Public Health Researcher and Commentator, Mumbai, India

Abstract


The Union Budget 2021-22, despite registering a considerable increase in allocation for health and wellness, failed to meet expectations with respect to healthcare-proper. Though large health gains can result from investing in social determinants of health, they don’t necessarily denote a strong and resilient healthcare system. Prioritization of primary care investments has unquestionable ethical and economic bases. However, reducing the expenditure share of hospital care in the absence of expanding budgets could further weaken the fund-starved public hospital sector in India. As COVID-19 prods greater attention towards the health sector, our approach to health investments must be balanced and wise.

Keywords


Union Budget 2021, COVID-19, Social Determinants of Health, Primary Care, Universal Health Coverage, Public Health in India.

References