3 days ago
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Health seems to be a key plank on which both the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) are fighting Assembly elections this time.
Both fronts have made grandiose promises, with the LDF promising to continue the work it has been doing the past 10 years, with better focus on many key sectors such as elderly care, chronic diseases, epidemic management, and food safety.
The UDF, which had organised a health conclave a few months ago to chart out its agenda for the health sector for the next five years should it come to power, unveiled its grand design for the sector on Thursday. While the coalition has rightly identified the current gaps and deficiencies in the health system, the slew of promises thrown in makes it seem like magical solutions are available for all that ails the health sector.
The UDF promises to increase the Budget allocation for health and make dedicated provisions for medicines and medical investigations, two components which significantly contribute to the out-of-pocket expenditure on health.
Universal healthcare is something both fronts have promised the people. The LDF is promising universal healthcare for all; that it will remove the current health insurance cap of ₹5 lakh/year under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati and give unlimited free treatment for all.
It also promises a special participatory insurance scheme for the “missing middle” not covered under existing schemes and vows to strengthen government hospitals as the backbone of universal healthcare.
The UDF has promised to enact a special health insurance scheme named after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who always proclaimed right to health and proposes an annual treatment cover of ₹25 lakh for families. It also talks about a new “Arogyam fund” to be created, by raising funds through grants, private investments, and CSR contributions, in addition to the Budget allocation for the sector.
High-quality public-sector treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease; ensuring beds and quality drugs for patients in government hospitals; comprehensive geriatric care facilities in hospitals, a State agency for hospital equipment maintenance, full implementation of public health cadre, staff pattern revision in hospitals with phased creation of new posts in all categories are some of the highlights in the UDF manifesto.
It has also promised autonomy for medical colleges, a revised, comprehensive health human resource policy, strong emergency care/trauma care at secondary-level hospitals, revision of norms for fund collection and utilisation by hospital development societies, and revision of rules for emergency procurement of hospital equipment and essential medicines in hospitals.
The UDF also promises to increase the minimum wage of nurses and to set up a pay revision commission for the nursing cadre.
The LDF’s manifesto focusses on renewed attention to primary care and disease prevention, mental health and elderly care, special programmes to promote healthy ageing and a community model for the care of the elderly. It also promises a comprehensive scheme for the care of chronic disease patients who are bed-ridden.
Ending rabies deaths by 2031, ‘little or no food poisoning State’ status by 2031, epidemic forecasting system, hospital disaster plans, ‘know your number’ scheme to create awareness among the public on lifestyle diseases, and staff pattern revision in medical colleges are the other highlights.
The LDF vows to end the private practice of government doctors completely and to extend OP hours in hospitals.
With the Centre dashing the State’s dreams of an AIIMS several times over, the LDF manifesto speaks of establishing a medical and research facility better than AIIMS in the State.
Both the fronts seem to share common ground that strengthening government hospitals, expanding telemedicine, mental health at primary care level, cancer care, palliative care, geriatric care, and lifestyle disease management are priority areas for Kerala.
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