The 12th Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) will focus on finding a solution to the acute shortage of qualified medical practitioners and professionals in allied health services. The approach paper may chalk out special programmes for health education and training.
The healthcare industry stakeholders have long been asking the Planning Commission to address manpower shortage. At a recent meeting of the working group constituted for the Plan, the members, including officials from the health ministry, representatives of business chambers and Commission members, sought expansion of medical education to improve primary health care.
The Commission is known to have endorsed this view while suggesting increasing health spend to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product by the end of the 12th Plan. According to the Commission’s own estimate, this would amount to a spend of Rs 17,16,230 crore in the next five years. This will include expenditure on drinking water and sanitation in rural areas also, as these are critical to better health outcomes.
A survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says only seven countries spend less money than India on public health.