Views of Dr Arun Mitra, General Secretary, IDPD, on Union Budget 2015-16

“The non fulfillment of demand to increase budget allocation on health to 6% amounts to completely ignoring the healthcare needs of the people of country. Dependence on the insurance sector for health means giving hefty business to the corporate involved in the health insurance sector. It is impossible for the vast majority of the people of our country, who do not have even enough bread to eat, to invest in health insurance.  This also means that government is absolving itself from the duty of healthcare to the citizens.  Moreover there is no talk of drug price control and rationalization. There is also no talk of linking health with food security and other securities like housing, clean drinking water, job security  and proper remuneration.”