India's healthcare in crisis due to dependence on private sector: RJD MP Manoj Jha

RJD MP Prof Manoj Jha said that the India’s health crisis was due to its dependence on private healthcare and capitalism.

Speaking about the robust Cuban health system, Jha said, “The health crisis in India is also due to capitalism. The government’s own report states that there is 80 per cent reliance on the private sector. A new type of medical poverty is being created and if our public healthcare breaks, India’s health will worsen.”

Citing an example of Bihar, he said that MPs in the state get requests for confirming railway berths and getting admission in AIIMS, Delhi.

“If the public infrastructure breaks, then the dream of this country will be in tatters. Everyone cannot afford to get admission in five star hospitals,” he added.

Jha suggested ways to repair the health system including standardisation of allocation of funds to the health sector, 5 per cent GST on medicines, and giving pension to Anganwadi workers.

SP MP Jaya Bachchan raised the mental health issues which senior citizens in urban areas suffer from.

“Senior citizens in urban areas suffer from undetected dementia. There is a need to conduct a census of such citizens so that timely healthcare could be given,” she added.

Sandeep Kumar Pathak of the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that there is a "design fault" in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

“The problem starts with beneficiary identification with lakhs of fraudulent names in the list, along with hospital empanelment issues,” he said.

Pathak also claimed that the health insurance coverage under the scheme has been designed keeping in mind the interest of hospitals instead of patients.

Bachchan said that India allocated less than one per cent of its total health budget to mental health while developed countries allocated five to 10 per cent.

“Nearly 15 per cent of Indians suffer from mental health and there is only one psychiatric available per 1,00,000 people,” she highlighted.