Pitching for more funds to combat diseases like diabetes and heart attacks, Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said the health budget is "relatively smaller compared to other departments" and it is presently being channelled more in "media savvy areas like AIDS".
"The budget that is allocated to the health sector is relatively smaller compared to other departments... But some of the resources go in more media savvy areas like AIDS...," Singh said, adding that "of course it (AIDS) should not be ignored..."
"...(Resources) could go to more of non-communicable disease or metabolic disease which are actually going to be future challenge for 21st century India particularly metabolic disorders occurring like diabetes and heart attacks at young age," the Union Minister of State in the PMO said.
Speaking at the launch of 10th edition of Association of Physicians of India (API) textbook on Medicine and Jivraj Awards ceremony, Singh said it should be taken as a national responsibility.
"When we say that 65 per cent of India is below the age of 35 years, I think it not only becomes a medical responsibility but also a national responsibility to take care of this aspect. We have to plan it scientifically even at the level of the government," he said.
Health Minister J P Nadda, who was present at the event, later told reporters on the sidelines that his ministry's budget has been increasing though the focus is on utilisation of funds.
"Our budget has been increasing... What is more important is the rightful utilisation of budget. We are concentrating on that. Budget should increase and every ministry wants more budget for itself. Let us utilise the amount which we have got first," he said, when asked about Singh's remarks.
The government had recently downplayed reports of a massive cut in the health budget this time, saying that no flagship programmes of the ministry will be affected.
Noting that both communicable and non-communicable diseases have increased manifold, Nadda said the strategies which "we have to develop has to stress on primary detection of both these diseases and at the same time ensure that better treatment is given at the tertiary level.
