Environment

For a healthy capital

Delhi has a high burden of patients not only from the capital but also from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan

DTE Staff

The health manifestos of the three leading parties in Delhi’s assembly election are a clear reflection of their ideological bent.

AamAadmi Party (AAP),widely recognised as the party for change and for backing arguments with research and figures, promises to radically change the public health system. Citing the model of Devi Shetty'sNarayana Health of Bangalore, it claims that it will build infrastructure at low cost. Furthermore, the party has promised extensive use of technology for providing better services in hospitals. Catering to the health personnel, its manifesto promises to create permanent posts for them and fill existing vacancies.

Meanwhile, the manifesto of the BharatiyaJanata Party talks of infrastructure development and insurance for all, but without precise details. Keeping in line with its emphasis on traditional Indian system, its focus is promoting Ayurveda and related fields. Interestingly, it also says that government doctors will be encouraged to run their private practice in government hospitals.

Congress, known to have brought widespread privatisation to the country, proposes to develop infrastructure in partnership with private sector. It talks of specified services for children as well as elderly.
 

Highlights from the manifestos
 
AAP:
 
  • Increase in healthcare budget by almost 50 per cent, from the current Rs 2,700 crore to Rs 4,000 crore
  • Addition of 900 primary health centres to the existing 300
  • The number of beds in secondary and tertiary care hospitals to be increased to 40,000 from the existing 10,600. Of these, 4,000 will be reserved as maternity beds
  • Opening of 100-odd counters for generic medicines
  • Full computerisation of all Delhi government hospitals
  • Abolishing contractual appointments and filling vacancies for 4,000 doctors and 15,000 paramedics
BJP:
  • Compulsory health insurance for all residents of Delhi
  • All districts to have trauma centres and mobile hospitals.
  • Fair price medicine shops to be opened.
  • Ayurvedic and Unani medical college to be given University status
  • Public investment in Yoga and Ayurveda for research and expansion
  • Introduction of private OPD facilities by government doctors in government hospitals
  • Ad-hoc and temporary recruitments to be analyzed and reviewed.
Congress:
  • 24-hour free diagnostic centres with CT scan, MRI and ultrasound facilities to be run in public-private partnership model
  • Special ambulance for senior citizens
  • Three new medical colleges to be set up
  • Regional forensic labs to be started