About 1,000 health organisations have appealed to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to launch a national scheme of ‘free essential medicines to all’, as promised in his Independence Day speeches in 2011 and 2012.
“In the Independence Day speech of 2011, you had mentioned that the 12th Five-Year Plan will be the “Health Plan” and you mentioned “A scheme to provide free medicines to all in public hospitals is being formulated” in your address to the nation on Independence Day 2012. But, unfortunately both of your announcements have yet to see the light of day, even when the 12th Plan period has begun from April 1, 2012,” the appeal, sent on Monday, said.
The health organisations said in the absence of any national scheme, the objective of universal access to essential medicines would be lost, and called upon the UPA Government to earmark an annual budget of Rs 5,500 crore and allocation of required human resource and facilities without further delay. They pointed out that the scheme should adopt the concepts adopted by the Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan Governments.
“If it is not launched throughout India, ‘free essential medicines to all’ which is the easiest of the components of UHC (Universal Health Care), then citizens would legitimately question any official talk about UHC. We hope, the Government of India will abide by your pronouncements and send a message to all citizens,’ the appeal said.
In India, people spend an exorbitant amount out of their pockets on health care, pushing over 30 million citizens below poverty line every year. “An expense on a single hospitalisation is enough ground for 40 per cent patients to sell assets or be indebted. About 70 per cent of this expense is on medicines,” the appeal said, and added that 65 per cent countrymen did not have access to essential medicines while India exported drugs to about 200 countries.
The signatories to the appeal are Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, All India People’s Science Network , All India Drug Action Network, Asian Community Health Action Network, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, Catholic Health Association of India, Centre for Community Health and Social Medicine, JNU, Forum for Creche and Child Care Services, Medico Friends Circle, Voluntary Health Association of India among others.