Lok Sabha Question No. 3399 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-12
Subject: Out of Pocket Expenditure
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ravneet Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3399 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH JULY, 2019

## OUT OF POCKET EXPEND ITURE

## 3399. SHRI RAVNEET SINGHBITTU:

Will the Minister of HEALTH ANDFAMILY WELFAREbe pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that the Government has  still not achieved public funding for health at around three percent of the country's GDP;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons the r for;
- (c) whether out of pocket expenditure still accounts for 60 percent of all health expenses in the country, if so, the steps tak n to reduce this financial burden on the population; and
- (d)  the  expenditure  on  primary healthcare  centres  in  Ludhiana during  the last  three  years including the current year?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b) According to  the   latest National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for the 2015- 16,the Government health expenditure is 1.18% of GDP.
- (c) As  per  National  Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates 2015 -16, the household's Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) on health accounts   for   60.6%   of TotalHealthExpenditure  (THE)  in the country.

The steps taken to reduce OOPE are as follows:

Public  Health  &  Hospitals  being  a  State  subject,  the  primary  responsibility providing affordable health services lies with respective State/UT Governments. However, order  to  reduce  the  out - of - pocket expenses    of  the  people  particularly  poor  people  of  the country, the Government of India has  taken several steps which inter -alia include:

Government of  India  launched  Ayushman  Bharat  Yojana  in  2018  comprising of two components namely:

- I. Provision of C omprehensive Primary Healthcare through Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and
- II. Pr adhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

Ayushman  Bharat - HWCs  envisages  providing  promotive,  preventive,  curative,  palliative and rehabilitative care with the goal to provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care including both maternal and child health services, non -communicable and communicable diseases through provision of free essential drugs and diagnostic services through Health and Wellness Ce 1.5  lakh  Sub  Heal th  Centres  and  Primary  Health  Centres  will  be  transformed  to  Health  and Wellness Centres (HWCs) in rural and urban areas by 2022.

Under the PMJAY, coverage upto Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and terti care hospitalisation to over 10 cror e poo  and vulnerable families (approx. 50 crore persons) i envisaged.  This  scheme  covers  poor  and  vulnerable  families  based  on  deprivation occupational criteria as per Socio Economic Caste Census data.

In  addition,  the  ongoing  schemes  of  NHM,  PMSSY etc.  also  strive  to  reduce  financial burden incurred by the population on health.

(d)  The  MOHFW  does  not  maintain  district - wise  data  on  expenditure  on  primary  heathcare centres.