INDIA
Enactment of a National Health Act
Enact the National Health Act to guarantee the right to comprehensive, quality health care at public expense in relevant health institutions to all, where every one is entitled to the full range of guaranteed, free
health services.
1.The Act must ensure that all persons approaching all clinical establishments including private establishments would enjoy legally enshrined rights including the rights to information and records, display of rates as relevant, informed consent, confidentiality, non-discrimination, rational care according
to minimum standards and management guidelines, and emergency medical care. It must restrict unethical and unlawful practices such as “cross practice”, i.e. practice of one system of medicine by those trained in a different system.
2. The Act must ensure the entitlements of the people to key health determinants including nutrition, clean drinking water and healthy environmental conditions.
3. The Act must ensure systems and processes for community based monitoring and mechanisms for redressal at various levels towards the fulfillment of rights in both public and private settings.
To operationalise the right to comprehensive, quality health care for all as envisaged in the Act, the following policy measures will also have to be implemented:
4. Substantial strengthening and expansion of primary as well as secondary, tertiary, rural and urban health facilities in public sector as models whose standards should be followed by the private sector.􀂙 Regulation and standardization of structures and processes in the entire private medical sector. A progressively expanding proportion of private facilities providing standardised, rational care could be reimbursed through public funds at defined rates, within the framework of a Universal Healthcare Coverage Scheme.
5. Universal Healthcare Coverage Scheme to include all sections of the people given the fact that any scheme targeted to the poor is implemented poorly. State’s share of contribution should be 100% for resource-poor families. Rest of the population would contribute to begin with; this contribution will be progressively more as we go up the socio-economic ladder. But within 10 years, all Health Care expenses for all people to be financed by the State.
6.As a key first step towards this Universal coverage, implement a Universal Social Health Insurance scheme as part of Social security for all unorganized and organised sector workers, which is mandatory and offers comprehensive health care coverage, covering all members, their families with a schedule covering all health conditions.
7. Increase health care budget from current 1% of GDP to 3% within 5 years and to 5% in 10 years. This would increase the share of public funds in health-care expenditure from the current 20% to 60% in 5 years and to 100% in 10 years. Ensure increase at both the Center and State levels.

R.S.Dahiya