Along with the allocation to healthcare, the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitaram, in the Union Budget 2022, announced a National Mental Health programme, as a response to the widespread impact of the pandemic on mental health.
Here's a quick look at the key points from the announcement:
A National Tele Mental Health Program is being launched with the aim of providing 'quality mental health counselling'.
23 mental health institutions from across the country will be involved
The programme will be anchored by the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS)
IIIT Bangalore is set to provide tech support to the programme.
Healthcare in Budget 2022: A Missed Opportunity?
Along with the announcement of the new programme, the finance minister spoke about the success of India's vaccination campaign.
Sitaraman went on to say that she is confident that with 'Sabka Prayaas', the country will be able to overcome the ongoing third wave in the country, driven by Omicron.
She also announced the launch of an open source platform, National Digital Health Ecosystem, to be rolled out under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
"It will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities", she said.
But, above all, the question remains, is the allocation made to healthcare in the FY2022 budget sufficient?
Speaking to FIT, Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, epidemiologist, and public health, and policy expert, says, not quite.
"In the pandemic, we had an opportunity to invest in the health sector, and we have missed the opportunity to increase the allocation."Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, epidemiologist, public health, and policy expert
This, because there is not much change in this year's allocation as compared to last year's budget.
"Last year, after revising, the estimated health allocation of the budget was 86000 crore, and this year it's 86200 crore. Essentially, very similar. But if we adjust it to our economic growth, inflation and population growth, there definitely isn’t an increase. Rather, it is a decline in the budget in that sense.," he points out.
"We need to remember, while countries like India are focusing on economic growth and economic recovery, for supplementing this, investment in healthcare should have been one of the key choice, and that does not seem to have happened this time.," adds Dr Lahariya.
Mental Health Matters: The National Tele Mental Health Programme
Speaking about the pandemic, the finance minister touched upon challenges thrown up by the pandemic, adding that it "accentuated mental health problems."
Doctors and Mental Health professionals have welcomed the attention to mental health, which has traditionally been sidelined and riddled with stigma in India.
Taking to twitter to react, Dr Samir Parikh, Director of Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, lauded the move, saying, "Thank you @nsitharaman for the introduction of National Telehealth Program with a focus on #Mentalhealth .#Telemedicine in mental health is the way forward to ensure #mentalhealthforall."
Shah Faesal a healthcare public policy expert also tweeted, welcoming the initiative, adding that the programme would be a step in the right direction towards dispelling stigma surrounding mental health in the country.
"It is a good initiative as it acknowledges the ground situation of mental health in the country." He also adds that it may help more people avail mental health services.
On the flip side, Dr Lahariya points out, "this new programme has been launched, but there is no additional allocation as of now, so I’m not sure how it will be funded."
"Of what I know about the budget details for grants, the allocation for the national mental health programme (announced in 2021) has remained unchanged at 40 crore, the same as last year."Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, epidemiologist, public health, and policy expert
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