The New York congresswoman who sponsored a bill to permanently fund healthcare costs for people sickened by toxic fumes on the site of the 9/11 attacks says she feels "great relief" after President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Monday.

Maloney: 'relief' as Trump signs 9/11 victims bill

India has an adequate number of healthcare professionals, albeit their distribution is uneven between rural and urban India and across different states, a recent study has found.

The research was carried out by the Indian Institute of Public Health and is based on the data collected from the registry institutions and the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), a statement released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

The data from the NSSO suggest that there are an estimated 29 doctors per 10,000 people in India, while the data collected from the registry institution estimates the figure to be as high as 38. Both the figures are more than the World Health Organisation's minimum threshold of 22.8, the statement noted.

The study also reports an overall disparity in the density of doctors and nurses across the country, stemming from the fact that their numbers are more in states like Kerala and the Union Territories than in larger states such as Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar.

Additionally, only 23 per cent of the health workers work in the Rural areas where nearly 71 per cent of the country's population lives, the study suggested.

"The study used the 2011-12 National Sample Survey data and projected Human Resource for Health (HRH) number for 2016 using census projection and worker participation rate. In addition, the survey used 2017 registry data of health professionals (Medical Council of India, India Nursing Council, Dental Council of India and other professional associations)," the release read.&nbsp;

India has an adequate number of healthcare professionals, albeit their distribution is uneven between rural and urban India and across different states, a recent study has found.

India has an adequate number of healthcare professionals, albeit their distribution is uneven between rural and urban India and across different states, a recent study has found. The research was carried out by the Indian Institute of Public Health and is based on the data collected from the registry institutions and the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), a statement released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. The data from the NSSO suggest that there are an estimated 29 doctors per 10,000 people in India, while the data collected from the registry institution estimates the figure to be as high as 38. Both the figures are more than the World Health Organisation's minimum threshold of 22.8, the statement noted. The study also reports an overall disparity in the density of doctors and nurses across the country, stemming from the fact that their numbers are more in states like Kerala and the Union Territories than in larger states such as Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar. Additionally, only 23 per cent of the health workers work in the Rural areas where nearly 71 per cent of the country's population lives, the study suggested. "The study used the 2011-12 National Sample Survey data and projected Human Resource for Health (HRH) number for 2016 using census projection and worker participation rate. In addition, the survey used 2017 registry data of health professionals (Medical Council of India, India Nursing Council, Dental Council of India and other professional associations)," the release read.

India has an adequate number of healthcare professionals, study finds

Prime minister Narendra Modi focused on terror, healthcare and disaster infrastructure during his intervention at G20 Summit and sideline trilateral and bilateral meets, Suresh Prabhu, India's sherpa for G20 said at a presser at the end of G20 summit.

"India played a proactive, positive, forward-looking role. PM Modi raised many issues of global concerns", he said.

During his intervention at G20 session on "Inequalities: Realising an Inclusive and Sustainable World", PM Modi highlighted "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas" policy aimed at building an inclusive society.&nbsp;

On disaster resilient infrastructure, PM Modi said, "Disaster resilient infrastructure is required not only for development, but it is also necessary to combat natural calamities. In this regard, I stressed upon the need of an international coalition in the G20 Conference of Buenos Aires. I invite the G20 countries to join this coalition and share their experience and expertise."

Healthcare was also one of PM Modi's focus at G20 with he talking about India's "Ayushman Bharat - world's largest health insurance scheme" and "AYUSH - Alternate and Traditional System of Medicine".

PM Modi also presented his vision of maximising digital technology for society during his intervention at G20 on Digital Economy &amp; Artificial Intelligence. He gave, 5 'I's which are - "Inclusiveness, Indigenization, Innovation, Investment in infrastructure and International cooperation."

Asked why India did not join the Japan led pact on data free flow, Suresh Prabhu said, "PM Modi has communicated the reason to Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."

During his bilaterals and BRICS, PM Modi raised the issue of terror.&nbsp;

On prime minister's idea of an international conference on terror Ministry of external affair spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "It is an issue which impacts mankind.. whenever PM has raised the topic with world leaders and in a multilateral format, there has been considerable interest and enthusiasm."

Prime minister Narendra Modi focused on terror, healthcare and disaster infrastructure during his intervention at G20 Summit and sideline trilateral and bilateral meets, Suresh Prabhu, India's sherpa for G20 said at a presser at the end of G20 summit.

Prime minister Narendra Modi focused on terror, healthcare and disaster infrastructure during his intervention at G20 Summit and sideline trilateral and bilateral meets, Suresh Prabhu, India's sherpa for G20 said at a presser at the end of G20 summit. "India played a proactive, positive, forward-looking role. PM Modi raised many issues of global concerns", he said. During his intervention at G20 session on "Inequalities: Realising an Inclusive and Sustainable World", PM Modi highlighted "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas" policy aimed at building an inclusive society. On disaster resilient infrastructure, PM Modi said, "Disaster resilient infrastructure is required not only for development, but it is also necessary to combat natural calamities. In this regard, I stressed upon the need of an international coalition in the G20 Conference of Buenos Aires. I invite the G20 countries to join this coalition and share their experience and expertise." Healthcare was also one of PM Modi's focus at G20 with he talking about India's "Ayushman Bharat - world's largest health insurance scheme" and "AYUSH - Alternate and Traditional System of Medicine". PM Modi also presented his vision of maximising digital technology for society during his intervention at G20 on Digital Economy & Artificial Intelligence. He gave, 5 'I's which are - "Inclusiveness, Indigenization, Innovation, Investment in infrastructure and International cooperation." Asked why India did not join the Japan led pact on data free flow, Suresh Prabhu said, "PM Modi has communicated the reason to Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe." During his bilaterals and BRICS, PM Modi raised the issue of terror. On prime minister's idea of an international conference on terror Ministry of external affair spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "It is an issue which impacts mankind.. whenever PM has raised the topic with world leaders and in a multilateral format, there has been considerable interest and enthusiasm."

PM Modi focused on terror, healthcare and infrastructure at G20 Summit in Osaka: Suresh Prabhu

US President Donald Trump, travelling in Asia for the G20 summit, knocked 10 Democratic presidential hopefuls from afar on Thursday for pledging to cover healthcare for immigrants who live in the United States after coming to the country illegally.

During a televised debate in Miami, a moderator asked the presidential candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Kamala Harris of California and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, if their potential administrations would support covering healthcare for illegal immigrants.

All 10 candidates on the stage raised their hands in the affirmative.

Trump, who has made cracking down on illegal immigration a signature policy of his presidency, pounced via Twitter.

"All Democrats just raised their hands for giving millions of illegal aliens unlimited healthcare. How about taking care of American Citizens first!? That’s the end of that race!" the Republican tweeted.

Trump has promised to build a wall along the US border with Mexico and has declared a national emergency over the number of people crossing into the United States from the south.

The president is in Osaka meeting with world leaders at the Group of 20 summit, but as is customary for him when he travels abroad, he was focused at least in part on goings-on back home.

During a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump could not help mentioning the Democratic debate.

“You know they have a debate going on,” he said to Merkel. “They had the first debate last night. I don’t know if you saw. It wasn’t very exciting, I can tell you that."

Trump said he looked forward to spending time with Merkel rather than watching the show. The German leader, who worked closely with Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama during her tenure, kept a straight face.

Thursday was the second night of two debates among 20 candidates who are running for the Democratic presidential nomination to take on Trump in the November 2020 election.

Trump's campaign said both nights would prove to be a boost for the White House incumbent.

“The cast of characters may have changed, but the second night’s script was eerily like the first: a two-hour-long infomercial for President Donald J. Trump's re-election campaign," spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. "All of the Democrats tripped over each other in a race to see who could stand out as the most leftist candidate, threatening government control of every aspect of people’s lives."

Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale wrote on Twitter that the Democrats were offering everything from free college to free healthcare, houses, cars, boats, aeroplanes and ice cream.

"Nobody has to work! Everyone just gets everything for FREE! Amazing!" he tweeted.

Trump is fond of making fun of the Democratic candidates, assigning pejorative nicknames in the same way that he did to his Republican and Democratic opponents in 2016. On Thursday, the Republican National Committee, while refraining from nicknames, said the Democratic field was one of the extremists.

"Their policies are extreme and out of touch with the realities facing everyday Americans," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump, travelling in Asia for the G20 summit, knocked 10 Democratic presidential hopefuls from afar on Thursday for pledging to cover healthcare for immigrants who live in the United States after coming to the country illegally.

US President Donald Trump, travelling in Asia for the G20 summit, knocked 10 Democratic presidential hopefuls from afar on Thursday for pledging to cover healthcare for immigrants who live in the United States after coming to the country illegally. During a televised debate in Miami, a moderator asked the presidential candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Kamala Harris of California and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, if their potential administrations would support covering healthcare for illegal immigrants. All 10 candidates on the stage raised their hands in the affirmative. Trump, who has made cracking down on illegal immigration a signature policy of his presidency, pounced via Twitter. "All Democrats just raised their hands for giving millions of illegal aliens unlimited healthcare. How about taking care of American Citizens first!? That’s the end of that race!" the Republican tweeted. Trump has promised to build a wall along the US border with Mexico and has declared a national emergency over the number of people crossing into the United States from the south. The president is in Osaka meeting with world leaders at the Group of 20 summit, but as is customary for him when he travels abroad, he was focused at least in part on goings-on back home. During a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump could not help mentioning the Democratic debate. “You know they have a debate going on,” he said to Merkel. “They had the first debate last night. I don’t know if you saw. It wasn’t very exciting, I can tell you that." Trump said he looked forward to spending time with Merkel rather than watching the show. The German leader, who worked closely with Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama during her tenure, kept a straight face. Thursday was the second night of two debates among 20 candidates who are running for the Democratic presidential nomination to take on Trump in the November 2020 election. Trump's campaign said both nights would prove to be a boost for the White House incumbent. “The cast of characters may have changed, but the second night’s script was eerily like the first: a two-hour-long infomercial for President Donald J. Trump's re-election campaign," spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. "All of the Democrats tripped over each other in a race to see who could stand out as the most leftist candidate, threatening government control of every aspect of people’s lives." Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale wrote on Twitter that the Democrats were offering everything from free college to free healthcare, houses, cars, boats, aeroplanes and ice cream. "Nobody has to work! Everyone just gets everything for FREE! Amazing!" he tweeted. Trump is fond of making fun of the Democratic candidates, assigning pejorative nicknames in the same way that he did to his Republican and Democratic opponents in 2016. On Thursday, the Republican National Committee, while refraining from nicknames, said the Democratic field was one of the extremists. "Their policies are extreme and out of touch with the realities facing everyday Americans," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.

'That's the end of that race!': Trump knocks Democrats over healthcare for immigrants

The World Health Organization said on Friday (May 3) it feared continued "intense transmission" of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where deaths from a nine-month-old epidemic stood at 994 and were expected to exceed 1,000 within hours.

Congo Ebola death toll nears 1,000, expected to spread: WHO

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/grave-breaches-in-trump-white-house-security-clearances-whistleblower-to-congress-207305">US President Donald Trump</a> said on Monday he was willing to wait until after the 2020 presidential election to get Congress to vote on a new healthcare plan, giving Republicans time to develop a proposal to replace Obamacare.

Congressional Republicans have been unable thus far to draft a proposal to replace Democratic President Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act despite frequent vows to do so in recent years.

Trump's vow last week that the Republican Party will be "the party of healthcare" caught his fellow Republicans off guard after the Justice Department backed a lawsuit intended to wipe out Obamacare, which has helped millions of Americans get health insurance.

In a series of tweets on Monday night, Trump said Republicans are developing "a really great HealthCare Plan with far lower premiums (cost) &amp; deductibles than Obamacare."

"In other words it will be far less expensive &amp; much more usable than ObamaCare. Vote will be taken right after the Election when Republicans hold the Senate &amp; win back the House," he said.

Trump's move suggests he is willing to debate the future of the US healthcare system during the 2020 presidential election campaign than try to reach agreement on a plan sooner.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was willing to wait until after the 2020 presidential election to get Congress to vote on a new healthcare plan, giving Republicans time to develop a proposal to replace Obamacare.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was willing to wait until after the 2020 presidential election to get Congress to vote on a new healthcare plan, giving Republicans time to develop a proposal to replace Obamacare. Congressional Republicans have been unable thus far to draft a proposal to replace Democratic President Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act despite frequent vows to do so in recent years. Trump's vow last week that the Republican Party will be "the party of healthcare" caught his fellow Republicans off guard after the Justice Department backed a lawsuit intended to wipe out Obamacare, which has helped millions of Americans get health insurance. In a series of tweets on Monday night, Trump said Republicans are developing "a really great HealthCare Plan with far lower premiums (cost) & deductibles than Obamacare." "In other words it will be far less expensive & much more usable than ObamaCare. Vote will be taken right after the Election when Republicans hold the Senate & win back the House," he said. Trump's move suggests he is willing to debate the future of the US healthcare system during the 2020 presidential election campaign than try to reach agreement on a plan sooner.

Trump says vote on healthcare can wait until after 2020 election

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/finland-is-worlds-happiest-country-9591">Finland</a>'s government resigned on Friday after ditching plans to reform the healthcare system, a key policy, throwing the country into political limbo.

The president approved Prime Minister Juha Sipila's resignation and asked his government to continue as a care-taker government until a new cabinet has been appointed.

The collapse of the government comes just one month before parliamentary elections are due, after Sipila failed to push through the reforms. The changes were crucial to the three-party governing coalition's plan to balance public finances.

Financial constraints are colliding with the healthcare costs imposed by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/will-robots-replace-teachers-finland-experiments-with-robots-to-teach-students--127795">Finland</a>'s fast-ageing population. But cutting those costs is a major political obstacle in a Nordic country that historically has provided an extensive and expensive healthcare system.

Several governments have tried to push through reforms in different forms over the past 12 years.

An election is already set for April 14 April.

Finland's government resigned on Friday after ditching plans to reform the healthcare system, a key policy, throwing the country into political limbo. The president approved Prime Minister Juha Sipila's resignation and asked his government to continue as a care-taker government until a new cabinet has been appointed.

Finland's government resigned on Friday after ditching plans to reform the healthcare system, a key policy, throwing the country into political limbo. The president approved Prime Minister Juha Sipila's resignation and asked his government to continue as a care-taker government until a new cabinet has been appointed. The collapse of the government comes just one month before parliamentary elections are due, after Sipila failed to push through the reforms. The changes were crucial to the three-party governing coalition's plan to balance public finances. Financial constraints are colliding with the healthcare costs imposed by Finland's fast-ageing population. But cutting those costs is a major political obstacle in a Nordic country that historically has provided an extensive and expensive healthcare system. Several governments have tried to push through reforms in different forms over the past 12 years. An election is already set for April 14 April.

Finland government resigns over failure of healthcare reform

The private sector’s ability to provide an array of healthcare services to the common masses needs to be put under a microscope.

Many healthcare interventions, which are preventive and promotional in nature — communicable diseases, efforts to minimise pollution, improving food safety, protection from adverse health behaviour and childhood immunisation — need the help of the public sector. &nbsp;

Therefore, the core element of public health that manifests collectivity and benefits all, is essential for improving the health of the population and maintaining a healthy workforce. &nbsp;

However, the other variety of health services, which are exclusively curative in nature, can be provided by the market after charging a price.

Despite the fact that a large part of curative services is subject to a market transaction, state intervention must be considered mandatory for a majority of people, who cannot afford quality healthcare. &nbsp;

Evidence in India and other low and middle-income countries suggest that millions of people are pushed into poverty due to high out-of-pocket expenditure on accessing healthcare.&nbsp;

A recent study estimated that 55 million people had fallen below the poverty line due to exorbitant out-of-pocket health expenditure. The debilitating public health system caused by underfunding, mismanagement of staff, administrative and failure of governance, adds to the woes. &nbsp;

However, the recent rollout of Ayushman Bharat, providing financial protection to a targeted population and strengthening primary care for all citizens, covers the ground for universal health coverage. The all-encompassing approach, which does not exclude anyone from basic services, is certainly forward-looking.&nbsp;

In this scenario, the private sector plugs the gaps in the delivery of services, where they provide quality healthcare, with a price that is paid by the government.&nbsp;

The share of out-of-pocket expenditure is 63 per cent of the total health expenditure in India, which is largely used to purchase medicines, diagnostic services and related services in the private sector.&nbsp;

According to one estimate, the size of the private sector was 8 per cent after independence and in six-and-a-half decades, it has grown nine times, while the public sector has declined in absolute terms by a third of what it was, during the corresponding period. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The structure of the private sector is diverse and functions as single doctor clinics, tiny nursing homes and large corporate hospitals operating in Tier I and II cities. Add to it various health facilities run by faith-based organisations. It can also be said that private healthcare services are demanded by all income groups.&nbsp;

Though limited, there are precedents of partnership with the private sector in specific disease control programmes, without tenable strategies for a scale up.

Several models of public-private partnership (PPP) have been experimented - contract services, joint ventures, demand-side financing, telemedicine and mobile health units in several parts of the country, leading to diverse results.

The country has vast experience of buying healthcare from the private sector through government revenue in the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and state- specific insurance programmes.&nbsp;

From experience, major uncertainties that drove trust deficit in the private sector were pricing, quality, transparency and accreditation of services. There are examples galore of over hospitalisation, redundant procedures and diagnostic tests inflating costs.&nbsp;

The private sector often raises prices of packages in many insurance schemes that do not deliver commensurate services. This issue assumes critical proportions. However, it is difficult to judge the merits of this argument in the absence of comprehensive costing data on different services by various types of health facilities. The unit cost of a service in a big corporate hospital is significantly different from similar service at a district-level hospital.&nbsp;

Land, building and vast administrative machinery propel costs in these hospitals. Do we really need the participation of big corporate hospitals in these schemes, where high-frequency-low cost episodes are more than the low frequency-high cost episodes? &nbsp;

We could negotiate to reserve some extremely critical procedures with a different payment mechanism in these hospitals.&nbsp;

Private hospitals have been given concessional land, customs exemption and liberal tax breaks with a commitment to reserve beds for poor patients, who would be entitled to free treatment.

But the manipulation of this provision is acute. Their behaviour is guided solely by profit motives, which is heightened by the information asymmetry in clinical practice, where the provider is more knowledgeable than the client. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Regulatory frameworks in several forms –National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Drugs Control Authority and the Clinical Establishment Act, are hampered by inadequate capacities in the public sector.&nbsp;

Despite these limitations, the private sector has certain advantages - better management of diseases, efficient utilisation of skills, accessibility, active response to patients’ need, use of technology, good hospitality and superior administration, which need to be appreciated.&nbsp;

Forgetting the dichotomy between public and private sector for the moment, can we make effective collaboration between the two to uplift provision of services? &nbsp;&nbsp;

When the scope of collaboration has widened after the rollout of PMJAY, each other’s merits and pitfalls need to be discussed for meaningful collaboration.&nbsp;

The success is contingent upon how transparent and accountable the private sector is in delivering affordable care.

For any partnership to be successful, accountability, transparency, equality, mutual obligation and commitment to achieve common objectives is the need of the hour. Is the private sector ready for this? &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-time-to-make-the-twain-meet-2726456">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The private sector’s ability to provide an array of healthcare services to the common masses needs to be put under a microscope. Many healthcare interventions, which are preventive and promotional in nature — communicable diseases, efforts to minimise pollution, improving food safety, protection from adverse health behaviour and childhood immunisation — need the help of the public sector.

The private sector’s ability to provide an array of healthcare services to the common masses needs to be put under a microscope. Many healthcare interventions, which are preventive and promotional in nature — communicable diseases, efforts to minimise pollution, improving food safety, protection from adverse health behaviour and childhood immunisation — need the help of the public sector. Therefore, the core element of public health that manifests collectivity and benefits all, is essential for improving the health of the population and maintaining a healthy workforce. However, the other variety of health services, which are exclusively curative in nature, can be provided by the market after charging a price. Despite the fact that a large part of curative services is subject to a market transaction, state intervention must be considered mandatory for a majority of people, who cannot afford quality healthcare. Evidence in India and other low and middle-income countries suggest that millions of people are pushed into poverty due to high out-of-pocket expenditure on accessing healthcare. A recent study estimated that 55 million people had fallen below the poverty line due to exorbitant out-of-pocket health expenditure. The debilitating public health system caused by underfunding, mismanagement of staff, administrative and failure of governance, adds to the woes. However, the recent rollout of Ayushman Bharat, providing financial protection to a targeted population and strengthening primary care for all citizens, covers the ground for universal health coverage. The all-encompassing approach, which does not exclude anyone from basic services, is certainly forward-looking. In this scenario, the private sector plugs the gaps in the delivery of services, where they provide quality healthcare, with a price that is paid by the government. The share of out-of-pocket expenditure is 63 per cent of the total health expenditure in India, which is largely used to purchase medicines, diagnostic services and related services in the private sector. According to one estimate, the size of the private sector was 8 per cent after independence and in six-and-a-half decades, it has grown nine times, while the public sector has declined in absolute terms by a third of what it was, during the corresponding period. The structure of the private sector is diverse and functions as single doctor clinics, tiny nursing homes and large corporate hospitals operating in Tier I and II cities. Add to it various health facilities run by faith-based organisations. It can also be said that private healthcare services are demanded by all income groups. Though limited, there are precedents of partnership with the private sector in specific disease control programmes, without tenable strategies for a scale up. Several models of public-private partnership (PPP) have been experimented - contract services, joint ventures, demand-side financing, telemedicine and mobile health units in several parts of the country, leading to diverse results. The country has vast experience of buying healthcare from the private sector through government revenue in the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and state- specific insurance programmes. From experience, major uncertainties that drove trust deficit in the private sector were pricing, quality, transparency and accreditation of services. There are examples galore of over hospitalisation, redundant procedures and diagnostic tests inflating costs. The private sector often raises prices of packages in many insurance schemes that do not deliver commensurate services. This issue assumes critical proportions. However, it is difficult to judge the merits of this argument in the absence of comprehensive costing data on different services by various types of health facilities. The unit cost of a service in a big corporate hospital is significantly different from similar service at a district-level hospital. Land, building and vast administrative machinery propel costs in these hospitals. Do we really need the participation of big corporate hospitals in these schemes, where high-frequency-low cost episodes are more than the low frequency-high cost episodes? We could negotiate to reserve some extremely critical procedures with a different payment mechanism in these hospitals. Private hospitals have been given concessional land, customs exemption and liberal tax breaks with a commitment to reserve beds for poor patients, who would be entitled to free treatment. But the manipulation of this provision is acute. Their behaviour is guided solely by profit motives, which is heightened by the information asymmetry in clinical practice, where the provider is more knowledgeable than the client. Regulatory frameworks in several forms –National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Drugs Control Authority and the Clinical Establishment Act, are hampered by inadequate capacities in the public sector. Despite these limitations, the private sector has certain advantages - better management of diseases, efficient utilisation of skills, accessibility, active response to patients’ need, use of technology, good hospitality and superior administration, which need to be appreciated. Forgetting the dichotomy between public and private sector for the moment, can we make effective collaboration between the two to uplift provision of services? When the scope of collaboration has widened after the rollout of PMJAY, each other’s merits and pitfalls need to be discussed for meaningful collaboration. The success is contingent upon how transparent and accountable the private sector is in delivering affordable care. For any partnership to be successful, accountability, transparency, equality, mutual obligation and commitment to achieve common objectives is the need of the hour. Is the private sector ready for this? (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Need to collaborate efforts of private and public sector to meet healthcare objectives

The acute shortage of qualified medical professionals in rural India may impact the relaunch of 150,000 health sub-centres and primary health centres (PHCs) as “health and wellness centres” under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the national health scheme launched on September 23, 2018.

A lesser known part of the health insurance programme, also called ‘Modicare’, comprises health and wellness centres that will have a critical role in controlling the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in India. They will also offer maternal and child health services. The problem is that sub-centres, run by a team of an auxiliary nurse midwife, a male multi-skilled health worker and health assistants, are short of staff while primary health centres do not have enough doctors:

Of the 156,231 sub-centres in India, 78,569 were without male health workers, 6,371 without auxiliary nurse midwives and 4,263 without either, according to Rural Health Statistics, 2017.

PHCs require 25,650 doctors across India to tend to a minimum of 40 patients per doctor per day for outpatient care, as per Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). If these standards are met, 1 million patients could be benefit everyday. But with a shortage of 3,027 doctors, 1,974 PHCs are without doctors. This means that 12 per cent, or 121,080 patients, go without access to primary healthcare everyday.

Healthcare in India’s villages is a three-tier structure under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM): Sub-centres, primary health centres and community health centres.&nbsp;

Sub-centres are at the forefront, covering 5,000 people in the plains and 3,000 in hill or tribal areas. PHCs are equally important for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to succeed because they are the first link to a consultation with a medical doctor and act as referral points for specialist consultations at community health centres.

Strengthening both the PHCs and sub-centres will ease the burden on secondary and tertiary health institutions.

Failure to find enough doctors will also set back universal health coverage as envisioned by successive National Health Policies in 2002 and 2017.

Seventy per cent of India’s population lives in villages and 30 per cent in urban areas. But the distribution of health workers leaves rural India with little access to healthcare — 60 per cent of the country’s 2 million strong health workforce caters to urban India, only the remaining 40 per cent services villages, as per data from a 2016 World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

There is another issue the proposed centres will have to deal with: Health-workers practising in both urban and rural areas of India are not adequately qualified, as per the WHO study. Among urban and rural allopathic doctors, only 58 and 19 percent doctors, respectively, were medically qualified.&nbsp;

As for nurses and midwives practising in rural areas, only 33 per cent have studied beyond secondary school and 11 per cent have medical qualification, the report estimated.

A perception survey of patients who visited healthcare facilities more than once showed that 43 per cent patients, on average, across four states were not satisfied with the medical treatment provided by the health facilities.Of the patients surveyed, 34 per cent complained of staff absenteeism, 32 per cent of shortage of medicines, 13 per cent &nbsp;of long waits; 3 per cent said centres were shut, 2 per cent claimed that there were no facilities at all and the remaining 5 per cent alleged different acts of corruption, according to the 2011 report by the High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage.

A potential area of concern for the new wellness centres could be the reliance of rural patients on non-degree allopathic practitioners (NDAPs), or practitioners without an MBBS, according to a study carried out in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.&nbsp;

Studies in rural Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have shown reliance on private practitioners for multiple reasons. The biggest of these is the lack of easy access to public health facilities: 73 per cent sub-centres were more than 3 km from patients, 28 per cent sub-centres and 20 per cent PHCs were not accessible by public transport, concluded an IndiaSpend analysis of a Comptroller and Auditor General report.

The easy availability and proximity of an NDAP allowed for faster consultation, according to this 2014 study carried out in north India. “Embedded in the community, the NDAPs have adapted their services to people’s needs, preferences and economic capabilities”, making them the preferred resource for “all-in-one” services, the study said.

Poor living and working conditions, irregular drug supply, weak infrastructure, professional isolation and the burden of administrative work: These are some of the challenges faced by doctors on rural postings, stated a 2017 study by the Public Health Foundation of India.

As of 2018, India has 497 medical colleges registered with the Medical Council of India (MCI) that together offer an intake capacity of 60,680 seats for MBBS. Trends in India, as well as other BRICS nations such as South Africa, suggest that most doctors prefer to sign up for hospital-based specialisations in urban areas than get into general practice at PHCs, a 2015 study published in Human Resources for Health observed.

To address this, policy frameworks in several states have mandated compulsory rural service of 1-5 years during postgraduate medical studies. Further, some states require medical officers to practise medicine in rural areas for a particular period after postgraduate studies.

Mid-level health providers could be the solution to the shortage of doctors in rural areas, according to this report of a national consultation on strengthening rural healthcare, 2018.

“A key challenge that India faces is that even after diagnosis, people continue to use health care services in secondary and tertiary settings, for conditions which can be managed at the primary care level,” said Chandrakant Lahariya, the national professional officer, Universal Health Coverage, WHO.&nbsp; 
 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-ways-to-make-modicare-work-2678897">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The acute shortage of qualified medical professionals in rural India may impact the relaunch of 150,000 health sub-centres and primary health centres (PHCs) as “health and wellness centres” under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the national health scheme launched on September 23, 2018.

The acute shortage of qualified medical professionals in rural India may impact the relaunch of 150,000 health sub-centres and primary health centres (PHCs) as “health and wellness centres” under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the national health scheme launched on September 23, 2018. A lesser known part of the health insurance programme, also called ‘Modicare’, comprises health and wellness centres that will have a critical role in controlling the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in India. They will also offer maternal and child health services. The problem is that sub-centres, run by a team of an auxiliary nurse midwife, a male multi-skilled health worker and health assistants, are short of staff while primary health centres do not have enough doctors: Of the 156,231 sub-centres in India, 78,569 were without male health workers, 6,371 without auxiliary nurse midwives and 4,263 without either, according to Rural Health Statistics, 2017. PHCs require 25,650 doctors across India to tend to a minimum of 40 patients per doctor per day for outpatient care, as per Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). If these standards are met, 1 million patients could be benefit everyday. But with a shortage of 3,027 doctors, 1,974 PHCs are without doctors. This means that 12 per cent, or 121,080 patients, go without access to primary healthcare everyday. Healthcare in India’s villages is a three-tier structure under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM): Sub-centres, primary health centres and community health centres. Sub-centres are at the forefront, covering 5,000 people in the plains and 3,000 in hill or tribal areas. PHCs are equally important for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to succeed because they are the first link to a consultation with a medical doctor and act as referral points for specialist consultations at community health centres. Strengthening both the PHCs and sub-centres will ease the burden on secondary and tertiary health institutions. Failure to find enough doctors will also set back universal health coverage as envisioned by successive National Health Policies in 2002 and 2017. Seventy per cent of India’s population lives in villages and 30 per cent in urban areas. But the distribution of health workers leaves rural India with little access to healthcare — 60 per cent of the country’s 2 million strong health workforce caters to urban India, only the remaining 40 per cent services villages, as per data from a 2016 World Health Organisation (WHO) report. There is another issue the proposed centres will have to deal with: Health-workers practising in both urban and rural areas of India are not adequately qualified, as per the WHO study. Among urban and rural allopathic doctors, only 58 and 19 percent doctors, respectively, were medically qualified. As for nurses and midwives practising in rural areas, only 33 per cent have studied beyond secondary school and 11 per cent have medical qualification, the report estimated. A perception survey of patients who visited healthcare facilities more than once showed that 43 per cent patients, on average, across four states were not satisfied with the medical treatment provided by the health facilities.Of the patients surveyed, 34 per cent complained of staff absenteeism, 32 per cent of shortage of medicines, 13 per cent of long waits; 3 per cent said centres were shut, 2 per cent claimed that there were no facilities at all and the remaining 5 per cent alleged different acts of corruption, according to the 2011 report by the High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage. A potential area of concern for the new wellness centres could be the reliance of rural patients on non-degree allopathic practitioners (NDAPs), or practitioners without an MBBS, according to a study carried out in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Studies in rural Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have shown reliance on private practitioners for multiple reasons. The biggest of these is the lack of easy access to public health facilities: 73 per cent sub-centres were more than 3 km from patients, 28 per cent sub-centres and 20 per cent PHCs were not accessible by public transport, concluded an IndiaSpend analysis of a Comptroller and Auditor General report. The easy availability and proximity of an NDAP allowed for faster consultation, according to this 2014 study carried out in north India. “Embedded in the community, the NDAPs have adapted their services to people’s needs, preferences and economic capabilities”, making them the preferred resource for “all-in-one” services, the study said. Poor living and working conditions, irregular drug supply, weak infrastructure, professional isolation and the burden of administrative work: These are some of the challenges faced by doctors on rural postings, stated a 2017 study by the Public Health Foundation of India. As of 2018, India has 497 medical colleges registered with the Medical Council of India (MCI) that together offer an intake capacity of 60,680 seats for MBBS. Trends in India, as well as other BRICS nations such as South Africa, suggest that most doctors prefer to sign up for hospital-based specialisations in urban areas than get into general practice at PHCs, a 2015 study published in Human Resources for Health observed. To address this, policy frameworks in several states have mandated compulsory rural service of 1-5 years during postgraduate medical studies. Further, some states require medical officers to practise medicine in rural areas for a particular period after postgraduate studies. Mid-level health providers could be the solution to the shortage of doctors in rural areas, according to this report of a national consultation on strengthening rural healthcare, 2018. “A key challenge that India faces is that even after diagnosis, people continue to use health care services in secondary and tertiary settings, for conditions which can be managed at the primary care level,” said Chandrakant Lahariya, the national professional officer, Universal Health Coverage, WHO. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Ways to make Modicare work

Aadhaar is not mandatory to avail benefits for the first time under the recently-launched Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) but will be compulsory for those seeking treatment under the scheme for the second time, according to a top official.

In case the Aadhaar number is not available, beneficiaries have to at least provide documents to prove that they have enrolled for the 12-digit unique identity number, said Indu Bhushan, CEO of the National Health Agency, responsible for implementing the PMJAY.

The move comes in the wake of a Supreme Court order declaring the&nbsp;Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid.

"We are studying the Supreme Court order. Aadhaar number or at least documents to prove that one has enrolled for the 12-digit unique identity number will be mandatory to seek treatment under the scheme for the second time.&nbsp;

"To avail benefits for the first time, one can either show an Aadhaar or any other identity document like election card etc," Bhushan said.

The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), which was renamed as AB-PMJAY, was launched pan-India by the Prime Minister from Jharkhand on September 23.&nbsp;

Since its rollout over 47,000 people have already availed the benefits of the scheme, which has been touted as the world's largest health insurance programme while over 92,000 have been given Gold cards, Deputy CEO of NHA, Dinesh Arora said.

Under the scheme, the government aims at providing a coverage of&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;5 lakh per family annually, benefiting more than 10.74 crore poor families for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation through a network of Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP).&nbsp;

The PMJAY will provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.&nbsp;

The scheme will target poor, deprived rural families and has identified occupational category of urban workers' families, 8.03 crore in rural and 2.33 crore in urban areas, as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.

It will cover around 50 crore people and there is no cap on family size and age in the scheme ensuring that nobody is left out.

Arora further said that 98 per cent of beneficiaries have already been identified.

Over 14,000 hospitals both public and private, have been empanelled for the scheme, and as many as 32 states and union territories have signed MoUs with the Centre and will implement the programme.

Telangana, Odisha, Delhi and Kerala are not among states which have opted for the scheme.

Aadhaar is not mandatory to avail benefits for the first time under the recently-launched Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) but will be compulsory for those seeking treatment under the scheme for the second time, according to a top official.

Aadhaar is not mandatory to avail benefits for the first time under the recently-launched Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) but will be compulsory for those seeking treatment under the scheme for the second time, according to a top official. In case the Aadhaar number is not available, beneficiaries have to at least provide documents to prove that they have enrolled for the 12-digit unique identity number, said Indu Bhushan, CEO of the National Health Agency, responsible for implementing the PMJAY. The move comes in the wake of a Supreme Court order declaring the Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid. "We are studying the Supreme Court order. Aadhaar number or at least documents to prove that one has enrolled for the 12-digit unique identity number will be mandatory to seek treatment under the scheme for the second time. "To avail benefits for the first time, one can either show an Aadhaar or any other identity document like election card etc," Bhushan said. The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), which was renamed as AB-PMJAY, was launched pan-India by the Prime Minister from Jharkhand on September 23. Since its rollout over 47,000 people have already availed the benefits of the scheme, which has been touted as the world's largest health insurance programme while over 92,000 have been given Gold cards, Deputy CEO of NHA, Dinesh Arora said. Under the scheme, the government aims at providing a coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually, benefiting more than 10.74 crore poor families for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation through a network of Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP). The PMJAY will provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service. The scheme will target poor, deprived rural families and has identified occupational category of urban workers' families, 8.03 crore in rural and 2.33 crore in urban areas, as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data. It will cover around 50 crore people and there is no cap on family size and age in the scheme ensuring that nobody is left out. Arora further said that 98 per cent of beneficiaries have already been identified. Over 14,000 hospitals both public and private, have been empanelled for the scheme, and as many as 32 states and union territories have signed MoUs with the Centre and will implement the programme. Telangana, Odisha, Delhi and Kerala are not among states which have opted for the scheme.

Aadhaar mandatory for second time treatment under Ayushman Bharat

Key Indian equity indices closed higher on Monday, with the barometer Sensex rising nearly 300 points.

Shares rose rebounding from their biggest weekly drop since August, but State Bank of India dropped after posting a surprise quarterly loss on Friday.

Last week on Friday, the key equities plunged into the negative territory amid a global sell-off.

The stock markets rose due to broadly positive Asian indices, coupled with healthy buying in capital goods, auto, healthcare and metal stocks.

The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.87 percent at 34,300.47.

The broader NSE Nifty ended 0.81 percent higher at 10,539.75.

The stock markets rose due to broadly positive Asian indices, coupled with healthy buying in capital goods, auto, healthcare and metal stocks

Key Indian equity indices closed higher on Monday, with the barometer Sensex rising nearly 300 points. Shares rose rebounding from their biggest weekly drop since August, but State Bank of India dropped after posting a surprise quarterly loss on Friday. Last week on Friday, the key equities plunged into the negative territory amid a global sell-off. The stock markets rose due to broadly positive Asian indices, coupled with healthy buying in capital goods, auto, healthcare and metal stocks. The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.87 percent at 34,300.47. The broader NSE Nifty ended 0.81 percent higher at 10,539.75.

Sensex closes 294 points higher, Nifty above 10,500

A delegation of 13 top British healthcare providers, suppliers, and other field experts will be in India as part of a trade mission from February 4-8, officials today said.

The mission would travel to Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, while also participating in the inaugural India-UK Createch Summit on February 6, the British High Commission said in a statement issued here.

&quot;In the year that the UK&#39;s National Health Service (NHS) reaches its 70th anniversary, Healthcare UK and the Department for International Trade are bringing a delegation of 13 top British healthcare providers, suppliers, hospitals and trusts in a trade mission to India from February 4-8,&quot; it said.

The delegation would be led by Sir Malcolm Grant, Chairman of NHS England, it added.

&quot;The mission will focus on innovation in healthcare, and address the changing needs of medical provision as disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable sensors, and virtual reality become increasingly commonplace,&quot; the statement said.

The delegates will demonstrate to Indian healthcare leaders how they can help meet key concerns around driving efficiencies in costs, increasing patient access in remote areas, and providing more personalised healthcare solutions through new technology, it added.

&quot;Through this trade mission, we want to nurture the common and growing interest between India and the UK regarding the latest smart systems and pioneering new healthcare solutions,&quot; Grant was quoted as saying in the statement.

In Delhi, the mission would attend a &#39;Future of Healthcare&#39; event with senior management of hospitals, medical institutes, colleges and healthcare companies, in addition to a round-table meeting with 10 CEOs of local hospitals.

In Mumbai, the delegation would attend the India-UK Createch Summit, and in Hyderabad, it would visit the site of an Apollo Hospital.

The India-UK Createch Summit 2018 is a one-day conference in Mumbai, bringing together thought-leaders from business and government for a series of exclusive keynotes, panel sessions and workshops.

A delegation of 13 top British healthcare providers will be in India as part of a trade mission from February 4-8

A delegation of 13 top British healthcare providers, suppliers, and other field experts will be in India as part of a trade mission from February 4-8, officials today said. The mission would travel to Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, while also participating in the inaugural India-UK Createch Summit on February 6, the British High Commission said in a statement issued here. "In the year that the UK's National Health Service (NHS) reaches its 70th anniversary, Healthcare UK and the Department for International Trade are bringing a delegation of 13 top British healthcare providers, suppliers, hospitals and trusts in a trade mission to India from February 4-8," it said. The delegation would be led by Sir Malcolm Grant, Chairman of NHS England, it added. "The mission will focus on innovation in healthcare, and address the changing needs of medical provision as disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable sensors, and virtual reality become increasingly commonplace," the statement said. The delegates will demonstrate to Indian healthcare leaders how they can help meet key concerns around driving efficiencies in costs, increasing patient access in remote areas, and providing more personalised healthcare solutions through new technology, it added. "Through this trade mission, we want to nurture the common and growing interest between India and the UK regarding the latest smart systems and pioneering new healthcare solutions," Grant was quoted as saying in the statement. In Delhi, the mission would attend a 'Future of Healthcare' event with senior management of hospitals, medical institutes, colleges and healthcare companies, in addition to a round-table meeting with 10 CEOs of local hospitals. In Mumbai, the delegation would attend the India-UK Createch Summit, and in Hyderabad, it would visit the site of an Apollo Hospital. The India-UK Createch Summit 2018 is a one-day conference in Mumbai, bringing together thought-leaders from business and government for a series of exclusive keynotes, panel sessions and workshops.

UK delegation in India to focus on innovation in healthcare

US job creation accelerated in January, as labour markets continued to absorb workers at a robust pace, unemployment clung to a record low and wages moved higher, the government reported today.

The world&#39;s largest economy added 200,000 net new positions in the month, more than expected, driven by gains in construction, retail, restaurants and health care, the Labour Department reported.

The result beat forecasts, which predicted an increase of 180,000, and helped offset December&#39;s disappointing result.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained at 4.1 per cent for the fourth month in a row.

Hourly wages continued to rise for the month as labour markets remained tight -- with wages posting their largest 12 -month increase in more than nine years.

That will strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to raise the benchmark interest rate in March, as it is widely expected to do.

Hourly wages rose 0.3 per cent from the prior month to USD 26.74, putting worker pay up 2.9 per cent compared to January of last year, the largest 12-month gain since June 2009.

Over the same period the consumer price index gained 2.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, but rising wages would be expected to put more pressure on prices.

The solid job gains were sure to be a relief for an embattled White House, as President Donald Trump has taken credit for the extended run of good economic news amid political turmoil.

Hiring by speciality trade contractors drove job creation in the construction sector, which added 36,000 new positions, while restaurants and bars added 31,000 new jobs.

The ranks of health care workers swelled for the month as well, adding 21,000 new positions.

Revisions to November and December subtracted a net 24,000 positions, bringing average job creation over the last three months of the year to 192,000, beating the 2017 monthly average of 181,000.

With the 4.1 per cent unemployment rate, a 17-year-low, the ranks of the long-term unemployed -- those looking for work for 27 weeks or longer -- continued to drop, falling six percent to 1.4 million.

However, the unemployment rate for African-Americans, which Trump hailed this week in his State of the Union address, rose nine-tenths of a percentage point to 7.7 percent, just below the 7.8 per cent in January last year.

Trump took office a year ago, pledging to create 25 million new jobs over a decade, or just over 200,000 per month.

However, Labour Department figures released today show the economy added 2.17 million jobs in 2017, fewer than 2016, when there were 2.34 million new jobs.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained at 4.1 per cent for the fourth month in a row

US job creation accelerated in January, as labour markets continued to absorb workers at a robust pace, unemployment clung to a record low and wages moved higher, the government reported today. The world's largest economy added 200,000 net new positions in the month, more than expected, driven by gains in construction, retail, restaurants and health care, the Labour Department reported. The result beat forecasts, which predicted an increase of 180,000, and helped offset December's disappointing result. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained at 4.1 per cent for the fourth month in a row. Hourly wages continued to rise for the month as labour markets remained tight -- with wages posting their largest 12 -month increase in more than nine years. That will strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to raise the benchmark interest rate in March, as it is widely expected to do. Hourly wages rose 0.3 per cent from the prior month to USD 26.74, putting worker pay up 2.9 per cent compared to January of last year, the largest 12-month gain since June 2009. Over the same period the consumer price index gained 2.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, but rising wages would be expected to put more pressure on prices. The solid job gains were sure to be a relief for an embattled White House, as President Donald Trump has taken credit for the extended run of good economic news amid political turmoil. Hiring by speciality trade contractors drove job creation in the construction sector, which added 36,000 new positions, while restaurants and bars added 31,000 new jobs. The ranks of health care workers swelled for the month as well, adding 21,000 new positions. Revisions to November and December subtracted a net 24,000 positions, bringing average job creation over the last three months of the year to 192,000, beating the 2017 monthly average of 181,000. With the 4.1 per cent unemployment rate, a 17-year-low, the ranks of the long-term unemployed -- those looking for work for 27 weeks or longer -- continued to drop, falling six percent to 1.4 million. However, the unemployment rate for African-Americans, which Trump hailed this week in his State of the Union address, rose nine-tenths of a percentage point to 7.7 percent, just below the 7.8 per cent in January last year. Trump took office a year ago, pledging to create 25 million new jobs over a decade, or just over 200,000 per month. However, Labour Department figures released today show the economy added 2.17 million jobs in 2017, fewer than 2016, when there were 2.34 million new jobs.

US adds 200,000 new jobs in January

India&#39;s government will unveil its budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year on Thursday, with investors expecting increased investment in key areas such as agriculture, and a slew of incentives for businesses.

After the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) last year, India&#39;s economy is expected to post growth of 6.75 per cent in the 2017-18 fiscal year ending in March, which would be the slowest in three years.

The government is widely expected to increase spending to ensure growth recaptures momentum, but most investors expect it to be prudent as loosening fiscal deficit targets by too much would likely spark a sell-off in the bond market.

However, speculation is rife in different sectors for tax sops. Everyone is putting forward its wishlist for Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as he geats ready to present Modi government&#39;s last full Budget.

Leading health insurance company Aviva wants the government to increase the income tax slabs exemption &quot;leaving more money in people&#39;s hands&quot;.

&quot;The insurance industry has always played a significant role in the economic development of nations and society. Predominantly, what we should look forward following the upcoming budget would be increase in the number of people having adequate insurance cover. To attain the same, there should be an increase in the income tax slabs exemption leaving more money in people&#39;s hands to channelise the funds well,&quot; said Karni S Arha, Chief Financial Officer, Aviva India.

We should expect to promote a separate dedicated insurance premium exemption limit as the current composite limit u/s 80c (Rs 1.5lac) is already overcrowded and exhausted, he added.

As per the IRDA, the insurance penetration (percentage of insurance premium to the GDP) in India is currently at 3.42 per cent, significantly lower than the global average of 6.2 per cent. The industry believes this is one of the aspects which needs to be looked into on priority.

The growing recognition of India&#39;s healthcare crisis has led to urgency for increased public funding of healthcare, which, the industry believes, can be taken up in the Union Budget.

After the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) last year, India's economy is expected to post growth of 6.75 per cent in the 2017-18 fiscal year ending in March, which would be the slowest in three years.

India's government will unveil its budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year on Thursday, with investors expecting increased investment in key areas such as agriculture, and a slew of incentives for businesses. After the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) last year, India's economy is expected to post growth of 6.75 per cent in the 2017-18 fiscal year ending in March, which would be the slowest in three years. The government is widely expected to increase spending to ensure growth recaptures momentum, but most investors expect it to be prudent as loosening fiscal deficit targets by too much would likely spark a sell-off in the bond market. However, speculation is rife in different sectors for tax sops. Everyone is putting forward its wishlist for Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as he geats ready to present Modi government's last full Budget. Leading health insurance company Aviva wants the government to increase the income tax slabs exemption "leaving more money in people's hands". "The insurance industry has always played a significant role in the economic development of nations and society. Predominantly, what we should look forward following the upcoming budget would be increase in the number of people having adequate insurance cover. To attain the same, there should be an increase in the income tax slabs exemption leaving more money in people's hands to channelise the funds well," said Karni S Arha, Chief Financial Officer, Aviva India. We should expect to promote a separate dedicated insurance premium exemption limit as the current composite limit u/s 80c (Rs 1.5lac) is already overcrowded and exhausted, he added. As per the IRDA, the insurance penetration (percentage of insurance premium to the GDP) in India is currently at 3.42 per cent, significantly lower than the global average of 6.2 per cent. The industry believes this is one of the aspects which needs to be looked into on priority. The growing recognition of India's healthcare crisis has led to urgency for increased public funding of healthcare, which, the industry believes, can be taken up in the Union Budget.

Budget 2018: What the insurance sector wants

Those releasing fatwas against &#39;nationalists&#39; should see the effort undertaken to get Father Tom back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

Speaking about the efforts taken by the Central government to bring back father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was freed after being kept in captivity by ISIS for 18 months in strife-torn Yemen, Modi said those who are releasing Fatwas against &#39;nationalists&#39; should see the effort we undertook to get Father Tom back. Father Tom was guided by his love for Lord Christ &amp; was working. &quot;We got Father Tom back. We also got back Father Prem, who was kidnapped in Afghanistan,&#39;&#39; Modi said.

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Those who are releasing Fatwas against &#39;nationalists&#39; should see the effort we undertook to get Father Tom back. Father Tom was guided by his love for Lord Christ &amp; was working. We got Father Tom back. We also got back Father Prem, who was kidnapped in Afghanistan: PM in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ugwo4BHwLP">pic.twitter.com/Ugwo4BHwLP</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937304632774221824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-three-results-certain-gujarat-polls-local-up-polls-congress-president-elections-25753">Modi was addressing an&nbsp;election rally in Ahmedabad.</a>

Modi&nbsp;also stressed the importance of healthcare in Gujarat and said that healthcare facilities affected the poor adversely and they wanted to change that.

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Lack of healthcare facilities affects the poor adversely. We want to change that and that is why we made stents cheaper: PM Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/rSAEmE5isr">pic.twitter.com/rSAEmE5isr</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937300905950507008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bharuch-and-kutch-have-significant-muslim-populations-developed-rapidly-under-bjp-pm-modi-in-gujarat-25732">&#39;&#39;Lack of healthcare facilities affects the poor adversely.</a> We want to change that and that is why we made stents cheaper,&#39;&#39; Modi said at an election rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

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Priority is to improve health infrastructure and boost innovation in the sector: PM Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/D6HwaBColY">pic.twitter.com/D6HwaBColY</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937301209953611776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Priority is to improve health infrastructure and boost innovation in the sector, he added.&nbsp;

Modi also had a word of praise for External Affairs Minister&nbsp;Sushma Swaraj.&nbsp;&quot;Have you seen how active Sushma Swaraj ji is? Guided by humanitarian values, she is serving so many people in need- they can be in any part of the world but she helps them,&#39;&#39; Modi said.

Our nurses were stranded in West Asia. When these nurses, who are doing such humanitarian work, are stranded how can anyone sleep in peace? Every effort was undertaken to bring them back home, Modi added.

'It is our 'nationalism' that made us get Father Tom and Father Prem back,' Modi, who was campaigning in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, said

Those releasing fatwas against 'nationalists' should see the effort undertaken to get Father Tom back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. Speaking about the efforts taken by the Central government to bring back father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was freed after being kept in captivity by ISIS for 18 months in strife-torn Yemen, Modi said those who are releasing Fatwas against 'nationalists' should see the effort we undertook to get Father Tom back. Father Tom was guided by his love for Lord Christ & was working. "We got Father Tom back. We also got back Father Prem, who was kidnapped in Afghanistan,'' Modi said. Those who are releasing Fatwas against 'nationalists' should see the effort we undertook to get Father Tom back. Father Tom was guided by his love for Lord Christ & was working. We got Father Tom back. We also got back Father Prem, who was kidnapped in Afghanistan: PM in #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/Ugwo4BHwLP — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Modi was addressing an election rally in Ahmedabad. Modi also stressed the importance of healthcare in Gujarat and said that healthcare facilities affected the poor adversely and they wanted to change that. Lack of healthcare facilities affects the poor adversely. We want to change that and that is why we made stents cheaper: PM Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/rSAEmE5isr — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × ''Lack of healthcare facilities affects the poor adversely. We want to change that and that is why we made stents cheaper,'' Modi said at an election rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Priority is to improve health infrastructure and boost innovation in the sector: PM Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/D6HwaBColY — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Priority is to improve health infrastructure and boost innovation in the sector, he added. Modi also had a word of praise for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "Have you seen how active Sushma Swaraj ji is? Guided by humanitarian values, she is serving so many people in need- they can be in any part of the world but she helps them,'' Modi said. Our nurses were stranded in West Asia. When these nurses, who are doing such humanitarian work, are stranded how can anyone sleep in peace? Every effort was undertaken to bring them back home, Modi added.

Those releasing fatwas against 'nationalists' should see effort we took to get Father Tom back: Modi

Doing business in India might have become <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/10/31/india-jumps-doing-business-rankings-with-sustained-reform-focus">easier</a>, however, the practice of medicine is set to become a whole lot more difficult in the state of Karnataka. The proposed Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Bill, 2017 (Bill) has caused much uproar in the past few months and rightly so. The <a href="http://www.kla.kar.nic.in/assembly/bills/bill14140_06_2017.pdf">Bill</a> not only fails to achieve its intended goals but also creates new problems.

There are a few positive aspects of the Bill like acceptance of online applications for the registration of private medical establishments and requiring that the final bills do not exceed the quoted estimates.

Charges to be fixed by the State

What is problematic, however, is that the medical establishment is not at liberty to set its own prices for medical treatment. Instead, the amendments proposed would allow the government to fix charges for medical services provided by private medical establishments. This is an extraordinary measure which would amount to excessive government intervention and also set a dangerous precedent.

Bangalore is one of the top destinations for medical tourism in India because of the quality healthcare available. Government intervention in pricing is bound to bring down the quality as private medical establishments, like any other private service providers or businesses are for-profit establishments.

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<h5>It is high time that the government focuses on rooting out corruption in public healthcare establishments which is rampant all over India.&nbsp;</h5>
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If the ultimate aim is to provide quality healthcare at affordable costs to citizens, then the focus of reforms should be on government medical hospitals which have the responsibility of providing healthcare to all citizens. On the contrary, the government has rejected the Justice Vikramjit Sen committee&rsquo;s recommendation that the new rules should apply to both government and private medical establishments. It is high time that the government focuses on rooting out corruption in public healthcare establishments which is rampant all over India.&nbsp;

Redressal forum

If the aim is to protect citizens from malpractice, both civil and criminal remedies already exist. Instead of improving awareness regarding these existing remedies, the government, through the Bill creates a new redressal forum known as the District or Metropolitan Grievance Redressal Committee which yields both investigative and quasi-judicial powers. Creating such a forum, despite the existence of other forums including consumer forums is inefficient.

Besides, cases regarding medical practice require special expertise and any judicial or quasi-judicial body would require time to hone its experience in the area.&nbsp;Interestingly, the composition of this forum consists of the CEO of the Zila Panchayat, superintendent of police of the district, a representative of a private medical establishment in the district, the district surgeon, public prosecutor and &lsquo;women representatives&rsquo; nominated by the government.

While a member with judicial experience is conspicuously absent from the members listed, it is even more curious that for some members of the committee the only qualification required is being women.&nbsp;

Doctors&rsquo; strike

Although the Indian Medical Association of Karnataka is right to oppose the Bill before it is enacted, it should caution against calling for strikes and shutdown of all private medical establishments since ultimately patients would suffer the consequences.

Proposed Karnataka healthcare reforms not only fails to achieve its intended goals but also creates new problems.

Doing business in India might have become easier, however, the practice of medicine is set to become a whole lot more difficult in the state of Karnataka. The proposed Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Bill, 2017 (Bill) has caused much uproar in the past few months and rightly so. The Bill not only fails to achieve its intended goals but also creates new problems. There are a few positive aspects of the Bill like acceptance of online applications for the registration of private medical establishments and requiring that the final bills do not exceed the quoted estimates. Charges to be fixed by the State What is problematic, however, is that the medical establishment is not at liberty to set its own prices for medical treatment. Instead, the amendments proposed would allow the government to fix charges for medical services provided by private medical establishments. This is an extraordinary measure which would amount to excessive government intervention and also set a dangerous precedent. Bangalore is one of the top destinations for medical tourism in India because of the quality healthcare available. Government intervention in pricing is bound to bring down the quality as private medical establishments, like any other private service providers or businesses are for-profit establishments. It is high time that the government focuses on rooting out corruption in public healthcare establishments which is rampant all over India. × If the ultimate aim is to provide quality healthcare at affordable costs to citizens, then the focus of reforms should be on government medical hospitals which have the responsibility of providing healthcare to all citizens. On the contrary, the government has rejected the Justice Vikramjit Sen committee’s recommendation that the new rules should apply to both government and private medical establishments. It is high time that the government focuses on rooting out corruption in public healthcare establishments which is rampant all over India. Redressal forum If the aim is to protect citizens from malpractice, both civil and criminal remedies already exist. Instead of improving awareness regarding these existing remedies, the government, through the Bill creates a new redressal forum known as the District or Metropolitan Grievance Redressal Committee which yields both investigative and quasi-judicial powers. Creating such a forum, despite the existence of other forums including consumer forums is inefficient. Besides, cases regarding medical practice require special expertise and any judicial or quasi-judicial body would require time to hone its experience in the area. Interestingly, the composition of this forum consists of the CEO of the Zila Panchayat, superintendent of police of the district, a representative of a private medical establishment in the district, the district surgeon, public prosecutor and ‘women representatives’ nominated by the government. While a member with judicial experience is conspicuously absent from the members listed, it is even more curious that for some members of the committee the only qualification required is being women. Doctors’ strike Although the Indian Medical Association of Karnataka is right to oppose the Bill before it is enacted, it should caution against calling for strikes and shutdown of all private medical establishments since ultimately patients would suffer the consequences.

Should govt fix prices of medical services in private clinics?

The BSE Sensex fell over 100 points to 32,508.42 at the start of the last trading session of the Samvat year 2073 on Wednesday, hit by muted quarterly earnings by some bluechips and profit booking by participants at record levels.

The trend remained mixed in global markets.

The 30-share index fell by 100.74 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 32,508.42, with banking, PSU, capital goods, auto, healthare and oil &amp; gas stocks dropping up to 6.6 per cent.

The broad-based Nifty slipped from record by falling 29.30 points, 0.29 per cent, to 10,205.15.

Brokers said sentiment turned bearish on unabated foreign fund outflows and lower-than-expected Q2 earnings by some bluechip companies amid profit-booking in recent gainers.

Markets will conduct a special &#39;Muhurat&#39; trading session on Thursday between 1830 hrs and 1930 hrs on the auspicious occasion of Diwali.

Private sector lender Axis Bank plunged 6.64 per cent after it reported spike in the dud loan portfolio due to newer surprises, including an under-reporting found by the Reserve Bank. The bank posted a 38 per cent rise in September quarter net profit at Rs 432 crore on low base effect.

Other losers were ICICI Bank, SBI, Cipla, Lupin, Bajaj Auto, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paint, Tata Motors, Infosys, Sun Pharma and Coal India.

Investors were cautious with today being the last session of Hindu Samvat Year 2073.

Hong Kong&#39;s Hang Seng was down 0.09 per cent while Japan&#39;s Nikkei rose 0.13 per cent in early trade today. Shanghai Composite gained 0.27 per cent.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.18 per cent higher on Tuesday.

The trend remained mixed in global markets.

The BSE Sensex fell over 100 points to 32,508.42 at the start of the last trading session of the Samvat year 2073 on Wednesday, hit by muted quarterly earnings by some bluechips and profit booking by participants at record levels. The trend remained mixed in global markets. The 30-share index fell by 100.74 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 32,508.42, with banking, PSU, capital goods, auto, healthare and oil & gas stocks dropping up to 6.6 per cent. The broad-based Nifty slipped from record by falling 29.30 points, 0.29 per cent, to 10,205.15. Brokers said sentiment turned bearish on unabated foreign fund outflows and lower-than-expected Q2 earnings by some bluechip companies amid profit-booking in recent gainers. Markets will conduct a special 'Muhurat' trading session on Thursday between 1830 hrs and 1930 hrs on the auspicious occasion of Diwali. Private sector lender Axis Bank plunged 6.64 per cent after it reported spike in the dud loan portfolio due to newer surprises, including an under-reporting found by the Reserve Bank. The bank posted a 38 per cent rise in September quarter net profit at Rs 432 crore on low base effect. Other losers were ICICI Bank, SBI, Cipla, Lupin, Bajaj Auto, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paint, Tata Motors, Infosys, Sun Pharma and Coal India. Investors were cautious with today being the last session of Hindu Samvat Year 2073. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.09 per cent while Japan's Nikkei rose 0.13 per cent in early trade today. Shanghai Composite gained 0.27 per cent. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.18 per cent higher on Tuesday.

Sensex drops 100 points on muted earnings, profit booking

Amidst the excitement and controversy over demonetisation and GST, and the earlier noise over flagship policies such as Make in India, an urgent issue has slipped through the cracks. That issue is, the extent of poverty in India, and what to do about it. India&rsquo;s poor performance on the recently published Global Hunger Index has been in the news last week.

This, taken together with the occasion of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17), is a good time to take stock of what is going on with poverty. The poverty issue has been overshadowed in recent years by the jobs issue. The two are related. Lack of decent jobs means lack of good incomes, which in turn means poverty. So in some ways, it is good that we are now talking about the root of the problem, the failure to create an adequate number of decent livelihoods. But this should not make us lose sight of the consumption side of poverty.

The first point worth noting is that reliable nationwide statistics on what economists call the poverty headcount ratio (the percentage of Indians spending less per day than the poverty line) are not available after 2011. This is because 2011-2012 is the last year that we have large sample consumption-expenditure data from surveys carried out by the National Sample Survey Organization.

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<h5>In India poverty should be measured in terms of rupees spent only, or if there should be an attempt to analyse whether basic needs are being met.</h5>
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As per this data 22 &nbsp; per cent of Indians lived in poverty in 2011, spending less than INR 27 per day in rural areas and less than INR 33 per day in urban areas. However, in 2009-2010 the NSSO also started experimenting with a different method of surveying people&rsquo;s spending habits. This method gives a poverty rate of 12.4 per cent in 2011-2012. A 2015 <a href="http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/109701443800596288/PRN03Oct2015TwinGoals.pdf">World Bank report</a> explains the differences in method.

So much for the headline statistics. Let us get into some more pertinent details. The poverty issue goes much beyond the poverty rate and the poverty line. India is not doing badly as far as a strict interpretation of poverty line goes. But as the <a href="http://nceuis.nic.in/condition_of_workers_sep_2007.pdf">Arjun Sengupta commission</a> showed nearly ten years ago, if we look at those who spend just a little more than the official poverty line (still a very low level of consumption), that percentage can be very high.

The figure that caught the nation&rsquo;s imagination was that 77 per cent of the population had a per capita daily consumption of INR 20 or less in 2005. The basic problem remains even today. Focusing only on the poverty line is dangerous because many people may hover right above it and they will not be any less poor in substantive terms than those just under it.

Second, there is a long-standing debate in India over whether poverty should be measured in terms of rupees spent only, or if there should be an attempt to analyse whether basic needs are being met. To those who have been paying to this debate, India&rsquo;s dismal performance on the Global Hunger Index does not come as a surprise.

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<h5>Many people are cutting down on food and spending on other things instead.</h5>
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For some years now, we have known that merely measuring daily spending adjusted for inflation is not a good way to estimate poverty, especially when nutrition is taken into consideration. What has been happening is that people are spending more money in real terms but that money is going to non-food necessities such as healthcare, education, transportation, and other services.

To put it another way, incomes have risen slowly for the poor while the need to consume non-food items mentioned above has become more and more compelling. The result: many are cutting down on food and spending on other things instead.

This much is known, indeed too well known. The question, as always, is what can be done about it. Here two recent ideas are worth exploring. One from the employment side and one from the consumption side: wage subsidies and universal basic services.

Last week the BJP government in Gujarat announced an interesting policy measure as an electoral promise. In addition to promising investments of around INR 20,000 crore in the garment sector to create one lakh jobs it also promised to pay a sizeable portion of the wages of the newly hired workers for a period of five years.

I have discussed in an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/minimum-wage-wage-subsidy-is-the-solution-to-income-disparity-5949">earlier column</a>, the idea that the government can subsidise wages in the private sector in order to raise incomes or stimulate employment. It has also been discussed in the context of an extension of the current MGNREGA program. The bigger picture is if the government offers various forms of capital subsidies (like tax exemptions, land, lower interest rates etc.) why not wage subsidies?

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<h5>Instead of giving people income grants and letting them purchase services in the market, the State should provide basic needs such as education, health, and housing free of cost.</h5>
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The concept of universal basic services (UBS) has a long history but has recently been floated as an alternative to universal basic income (UBI) in developed countries. UBI has been discussed extensively in India as well (for e.g. see this year&rsquo;s Economic Survey). The UBS proposal is that instead of giving people income grants and letting them purchase services in the market, the State should provide basic needs such as education, health, and housing free of cost. This is a generalisation of existing public provisioning via the Public Distribution System (PDS) and various other schemes.&nbsp;

Of course many will object to such a program seeing in it a return to the &ldquo;bad only days&rdquo; of socialism and fiscal irresponsibility. The problem is that the &ldquo;good new days&rdquo; have been good only for a minority and this does not seem to be changing. If we take a look at the budgets of not only the poor but as much as half of the population, we are likely to find that the above-mentioned items account for most of the spending.

Universal public health, education, and housing will go a long way in alleviating pressure on people&rsquo;s budgets freeing up resources for better nutrition. Not only that it will give them much-needed room to take risks with employment, skill development as well as entrepreneurship. Further, provisioning of such services will create much-needed employment since these happen to be difficult to mechanise.

Overall the decline in poverty numbers till 2011 (and most likely these have declined further by now, though we don&rsquo;t have data), suggests that it is the time we stopped worrying purely about expenditure-based poverty lines and focused instead on providing basic services and raising incomes at the bottom.

Job creation and providing basic services like healthcare, education will tackle poverty in India

Amidst the excitement and controversy over demonetisation and GST, and the earlier noise over flagship policies such as Make in India, an urgent issue has slipped through the cracks. That issue is, the extent of poverty in India, and what to do about it. India’s poor performance on the recently published Global Hunger Index has been in the news last week. This, taken together with the occasion of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17), is a good time to take stock of what is going on with poverty. The poverty issue has been overshadowed in recent years by the jobs issue. The two are related. Lack of decent jobs means lack of good incomes, which in turn means poverty. So in some ways, it is good that we are now talking about the root of the problem, the failure to create an adequate number of decent livelihoods. But this should not make us lose sight of the consumption side of poverty. The first point worth noting is that reliable nationwide statistics on what economists call the poverty headcount ratio (the percentage of Indians spending less per day than the poverty line) are not available after 2011. This is because 2011-2012 is the last year that we have large sample consumption-expenditure data from surveys carried out by the National Sample Survey Organization. In India poverty should be measured in terms of rupees spent only, or if there should be an attempt to analyse whether basic needs are being met. × As per this data 22 per cent of Indians lived in poverty in 2011, spending less than INR 27 per day in rural areas and less than INR 33 per day in urban areas. However, in 2009-2010 the NSSO also started experimenting with a different method of surveying people’s spending habits. This method gives a poverty rate of 12.4 per cent in 2011-2012. A 2015 World Bank report explains the differences in method. So much for the headline statistics. Let us get into some more pertinent details. The poverty issue goes much beyond the poverty rate and the poverty line. India is not doing badly as far as a strict interpretation of poverty line goes. But as the Arjun Sengupta commission showed nearly ten years ago, if we look at those who spend just a little more than the official poverty line (still a very low level of consumption), that percentage can be very high. The figure that caught the nation’s imagination was that 77 per cent of the population had a per capita daily consumption of INR 20 or less in 2005. The basic problem remains even today. Focusing only on the poverty line is dangerous because many people may hover right above it and they will not be any less poor in substantive terms than those just under it. Second, there is a long-standing debate in India over whether poverty should be measured in terms of rupees spent only, or if there should be an attempt to analyse whether basic needs are being met. To those who have been paying to this debate, India’s dismal performance on the Global Hunger Index does not come as a surprise. Many people are cutting down on food and spending on other things instead. × For some years now, we have known that merely measuring daily spending adjusted for inflation is not a good way to estimate poverty, especially when nutrition is taken into consideration. What has been happening is that people are spending more money in real terms but that money is going to non-food necessities such as healthcare, education, transportation, and other services. To put it another way, incomes have risen slowly for the poor while the need to consume non-food items mentioned above has become more and more compelling. The result: many are cutting down on food and spending on other things instead. This much is known, indeed too well known. The question, as always, is what can be done about it. Here two recent ideas are worth exploring. One from the employment side and one from the consumption side: wage subsidies and universal basic services. Last week the BJP government in Gujarat announced an interesting policy measure as an electoral promise. In addition to promising investments of around INR 20,000 crore in the garment sector to create one lakh jobs it also promised to pay a sizeable portion of the wages of the newly hired workers for a period of five years. I have discussed in an earlier column, the idea that the government can subsidise wages in the private sector in order to raise incomes or stimulate employment. It has also been discussed in the context of an extension of the current MGNREGA program. The bigger picture is if the government offers various forms of capital subsidies (like tax exemptions, land, lower interest rates etc.) why not wage subsidies? Instead of giving people income grants and letting them purchase services in the market, the State should provide basic needs such as education, health, and housing free of cost. × The concept of universal basic services (UBS) has a long history but has recently been floated as an alternative to universal basic income (UBI) in developed countries. UBI has been discussed extensively in India as well (for e.g. see this year’s Economic Survey). The UBS proposal is that instead of giving people income grants and letting them purchase services in the market, the State should provide basic needs such as education, health, and housing free of cost. This is a generalisation of existing public provisioning via the Public Distribution System (PDS) and various other schemes. Of course many will object to such a program seeing in it a return to the “bad only days” of socialism and fiscal irresponsibility. The problem is that the “good new days” have been good only for a minority and this does not seem to be changing. If we take a look at the budgets of not only the poor but as much as half of the population, we are likely to find that the above-mentioned items account for most of the spending. Universal public health, education, and housing will go a long way in alleviating pressure on people’s budgets freeing up resources for better nutrition. Not only that it will give them much-needed room to take risks with employment, skill development as well as entrepreneurship. Further, provisioning of such services will create much-needed employment since these happen to be difficult to mechanise. Overall the decline in poverty numbers till 2011 (and most likely these have declined further by now, though we don’t have data), suggests that it is the time we stopped worrying purely about expenditure-based poverty lines and focused instead on providing basic services and raising incomes at the bottom.

Poverty in India: Measurement and eradication

Though India has made tremendous strides in healthcare sector with increased life expectancy, it has a long way to go to reach the global standards, said Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy today.

Quoting the World Bank reports in a lecture at BioAsia, he said though the infant mortality rate has come down, India missed the Millennium Development Goals.

&quot;In India Life expectancy in India has increased from just 45 years in 1960 to 67 in 2010. While the progress has been steady, India still lags way behind comparatively with countries including China and Brazil. These are the countries which have invested considerably more in healthcare. Overall, we must say that India has made considerable progress but we still have long way to go and to catch up with our neighbours and global comparatives,&quot;&nbsp;Murthy said.

He said there is huge disparity in terms of performance between South India and North and North eastern states of India. He also expressed concern over the rise in diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.

&quot;What is somewhat concerning is that we fall behind even our small neighbours like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in public health issues.&nbsp;As per the World Bank report, Indian infant mortality rate has decreased by 25 points between 1995 and 2015.

&quot;However the sad point is the millennium development goal has not been met. Additionally there are huge disparities among Indian states with some of them performing better between Southern states and North and North eastern states,&quot;&nbsp;he further said.

(PTI)

Infosys' founder expressed concern about diseases such as dengue and chikungunya and pointed to a huge disparity in treatment between state

Though India has made tremendous strides in healthcare sector with increased life expectancy, it has a long way to go to reach the global standards, said Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy today. Quoting the World Bank reports in a lecture at BioAsia, he said though the infant mortality rate has come down, India missed the Millennium Development Goals. "In India Life expectancy in India has increased from just 45 years in 1960 to 67 in 2010. While the progress has been steady, India still lags way behind comparatively with countries including China and Brazil. These are the countries which have invested considerably more in healthcare. Overall, we must say that India has made considerable progress but we still have long way to go and to catch up with our neighbours and global comparatives," Murthy said. He said there is huge disparity in terms of performance between South India and North and North eastern states of India. He also expressed concern over the rise in diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. "What is somewhat concerning is that we fall behind even our small neighbours like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in public health issues. As per the World Bank report, Indian infant mortality rate has decreased by 25 points between 1995 and 2015. "However the sad point is the millennium development goal has not been met. Additionally there are huge disparities among Indian states with some of them performing better between Southern states and North and North eastern states," he further said. (PTI)

India yet to achieve global goals in healthcare: Murthy

Paying tributes to Cuba&#39;s late leader Fidel Castro, India said Cubans have achieved notable success in education and healthcare under his leadership despite outside pressures and Havana&#39;s struggle for the global south brought it and the Caribbean island nation together.

&quot;Fidel Castro indeed towered on the global stage. Under his leadership the people of Cuba achieved notable development successes in areas such as education and healthcare, despite outside pressures,&quot; India&#39;s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at a special commemorative meeting in the General Assembly yesterday to pay tribute to the late commander of the Cuban revolution.

Akbaruddin said Cuba gave a &quot;significant voice&quot; for the cause of the global south, and this is what drew India and Cuba together. Over the years, the two nations have worked together closely at the UN to promote the aspects of economic equity and social justice in international relations, he added.

Nearly 30 envoys representing regional groups and nations paid tributes to Castro, who died at age 90, and his indelible legacy during the ceremony, presided over by General Assembly President Peter Thomson. While speakers included Russia, South Africa, Iran and China, there were no representatives from Western nations.

Akbaruddin said Indians learnt about Castro&#39;s demise last month &quot;with a sense of loss.&quot; Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described Castro as one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century and had captured the emotions of India&#39;s one billion people when he stated that the country mourns the loss of a &quot;great friend&quot;, Akbaruddin added.

As a mark of respect to the legendary leader, members of both houses of the Indian Parliament had paid tributes to the late leader. 
The Indian envoy told the General Assembly that India was one of the first countries to recognise Castro&#39;s government after the Cuban revolution in 1959. &quot;Fidel Castro was a stalwart of the Non Aligned Movement during the Cold War years, when India and Cuba commenced their close partnership to advance the interests of developing countries,&quot; Akbaruddin said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in his message on the occasion said, Castro was &quot;one of the most important Latin American leaders of the 20th century&quot; and &quot;the most influential shaper of Cuban history since his own hero, Jose Marti, struggled for Cuban independence in the late 19th century.&quot;

The outgoing UN Chief said as president, Castro turned Cuba into a &quot;regional model of access to education and public health&quot; and &quot;until his last days he was deeply concerned about the future of humanity and challenges of the current times.&quot; 
Castro left &quot;a major imprint on his country and global politics,&quot; Ban said in remarks read by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca.

Lauding Castro&#39;s &quot;charismatic and wise leadership,&quot; Akbaruddin said India will always &quot;remember and cherish our friendship&quot; with the &quot;strong leader of a resilient nation.&quot;

(PTI)&nbsp;

Cuba's healthcare and education were lauded in a room that had representatives from 30 countries, but none from Western countries

Paying tributes to Cuba's late leader Fidel Castro, India said Cubans have achieved notable success in education and healthcare under his leadership despite outside pressures and Havana's struggle for the global south brought it and the Caribbean island nation together. "Fidel Castro indeed towered on the global stage. Under his leadership the people of Cuba achieved notable development successes in areas such as education and healthcare, despite outside pressures," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at a special commemorative meeting in the General Assembly yesterday to pay tribute to the late commander of the Cuban revolution. Akbaruddin said Cuba gave a "significant voice" for the cause of the global south, and this is what drew India and Cuba together. Over the years, the two nations have worked together closely at the UN to promote the aspects of economic equity and social justice in international relations, he added. Nearly 30 envoys representing regional groups and nations paid tributes to Castro, who died at age 90, and his indelible legacy during the ceremony, presided over by General Assembly President Peter Thomson. While speakers included Russia, South Africa, Iran and China, there were no representatives from Western nations. Akbaruddin said Indians learnt about Castro's demise last month "with a sense of loss." Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described Castro as one of the most iconic personalities of the 20th century and had captured the emotions of India's one billion people when he stated that the country mourns the loss of a "great friend", Akbaruddin added. As a mark of respect to the legendary leader, members of both houses of the Indian Parliament had paid tributes to the late leader. The Indian envoy told the General Assembly that India was one of the first countries to recognise Castro's government after the Cuban revolution in 1959. "Fidel Castro was a stalwart of the Non Aligned Movement during the Cold War years, when India and Cuba commenced their close partnership to advance the interests of developing countries," Akbaruddin said. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in his message on the occasion said, Castro was "one of the most important Latin American leaders of the 20th century" and "the most influential shaper of Cuban history since his own hero, Jose Marti, struggled for Cuban independence in the late 19th century." The outgoing UN Chief said as president, Castro turned Cuba into a "regional model of access to education and public health" and "until his last days he was deeply concerned about the future of humanity and challenges of the current times." Castro left "a major imprint on his country and global politics," Ban said in remarks read by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca. Lauding Castro's "charismatic and wise leadership," Akbaruddin said India will always "remember and cherish our friendship" with the "strong leader of a resilient nation." (PTI)

India praises Fidel Castro at UN

Twenty-two tribal children in India&#39;s eastern Odisha state have died of malnutrition in the last two months.&nbsp;The children, all members of Juang tribe in Nagada village of Odisha&#39;s Jajpur district, died of acute malnutrition. 
 
With no access to immediate healthcare and social welfare benefits, situation remains grim in the village.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Opposition lashed out at the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for not taking adequate steps to address the issue. 
 
&quot;Twenty two children have died due to malnutrition. This has happened because Odisha&#39;s chief minister is saying that he is doing development work, he is providing special schemes for villagers and tribal people, but no such scheme from federal or state government has reached the villagers and tribals yet,&quot; said a legislator of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rabinarayan Nayak. 
 
Despite India&#39;s economic boom over the last two decades, 46 per cent of its children under five years of age are underweight, and 48 per cent are stunted, according to the 2015 government figures. 
 
Child malnutrition is an underlying cause of death for three million children annually across the world - nearly half of all child deaths - with most dying from preventable illnesses like diarrhoea due to weak immune systems, according to the United Nations Children&#39;s Fund. 
 
Those lucky enough to survive, grow up without enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, causing their brains and bodies to be stunted, which means they cannot fulfill their physical, academic or economic potential. 
 
(Reuters)

Juang tribe in Nagada village of Odisha has no access to immediate healthcare and social welfare benefits

Twenty-two tribal children in India's eastern Odisha state have died of malnutrition in the last two months. The children, all members of Juang tribe in Nagada village of Odisha's Jajpur district, died of acute malnutrition. With no access to immediate healthcare and social welfare benefits, situation remains grim in the village. Meanwhile, the Opposition lashed out at the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for not taking adequate steps to address the issue. "Twenty two children have died due to malnutrition. This has happened because Odisha's chief minister is saying that he is doing development work, he is providing special schemes for villagers and tribal people, but no such scheme from federal or state government has reached the villagers and tribals yet," said a legislator of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rabinarayan Nayak. Despite India's economic boom over the last two decades, 46 per cent of its children under five years of age are underweight, and 48 per cent are stunted, according to the 2015 government figures. Child malnutrition is an underlying cause of death for three million children annually across the world - nearly half of all child deaths - with most dying from preventable illnesses like diarrhoea due to weak immune systems, according to the United Nations Children's Fund. Those lucky enough to survive, grow up without enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, causing their brains and bodies to be stunted, which means they cannot fulfill their physical, academic or economic potential. (Reuters)

22 tribal children die of malnutrition in eastern India village

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