HEALTH SITUATION IN INDIA: RELATED ISSUES AND POLICY CONCERNS ------ By Shambhu Ghatak1

“Concern with human development seems to be moving to centre stage in the 1990s. For too long, the recurrent question was, how much is a nation producing? Increasingly, the question now being asked is, how are its people faring? The main reason for this shift is the growing recognition that the real objective of development is to enlarge people’s options. Income is only one of those options—and an extremely important one—but it is not the sum total of human life. Health, education, physical environment and freedom—to name a few other human choices—may be just as important as income.” ---Mahbub ul Haq (1995), in Readings in Human Development 1 Policy Evolution

Fight against communicable and preventable diseases finds mention in the Millennium Development Goals and also in India’s Health Policy (NHP) 1983, New Health Policy 2002 as well as in India Vision 2020 (Mishra, 2004-05)2. The basic objective of NHP 2002 was to achieve an acceptable standard of good health amongst the general population of the country. The policy was widely circulated both at the centre and states upto the district level. Concerned Central Departments, State Government and other organisations are being advised to implement the policy. Government has continued with its commitment to provide essential primary health care, emergency life saving services, services under the National Disease Control Programmes totally free of cost to all individuals and essential health care services to people below poverty line based on their need and not on their ability to pay for the services. The present Government proposes to raise public spending on health to at least 2-3% of GDP over the next five years with a focus on primary health care under the National Common Minimum Programme.

1 2

The author can be contacted at: shambhughatak@yahoo.com. Mishra, Srijit (2004-05): Chapter 4: Public Health Scenario in