NCDs: Planning board for financial risk protection

With Kerala spending the highest ''out of pocket'' expenditure on health and the spectrum of disease in the state changing from communicable to non-communicable disease, the Kerala State Planning Board has called for ensuring financial risk protection mechanism and to give emphasis to prevention of non-communicable diseases.

With the spectrum of diseases changing to chronic diseases, especially Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and hypertension, the finances of the common man have come under stress, according to a report of the Planning Board Expert Committee on Health that has been circulated to Ministers, MLAs and MPs. The committee was formed to deliberate on the various challenges faced by the State’s Health System and the strategies to be adopted during 12th Five Year Plan.

The expert committee has recommended ensuring financial risk protection to the people, strengthening primary care service delivery and strengthening service delivery of public hospitals through innovative finance mechanisms for bringing down the health expenditure and preventing the risk of various non-communicable disease.

According to the report, the health expenditure in Kerala is highest in terms of both public (Rs 287) and private health expenditure (Rs 2663) in India. It also quotes the latest study conducted by KSSP that shows that on an average, a person spends almost Rs 6,000 an year out of his own pocket. The study said that the main reason for the high expenditure was due to the increase in the number of people suffering with chronic diseases and recurrent expenses of treating these diseases.

Plan Board moots Public health Cadre

The Kerala State Planning Board has called for formulating a comprehensive State Act - The Kerala State Public Health Act – and establishing Public Health Cadre for improving the quality of health services in the state. The two existing Public Health Acts – The Madras Public Health Act 1939 and the TC Public Health Act 1955 – need to be unified for formulating the comprehensive State Act, according to a report of the Planning Board Expert Committee on Health.

The report has come out at a time when the government's move to establish a Public Health Protection Agency has evoked criticism from the medical Fraternity. The government is for an Agency rather than establishing a Public Heath Cadre and Public Health Department, whcih has been widely crirticised. The experts have stated that the Agency would not be a substitute to Public Health Cadre and Public Health Department, which has already been envisaged in the National Health Policy and adopted by several states.

The Expert committee was formed to deliberate on the various challenges faced by the State’s Health System and the strategies to be adopted during 12th Five Year Plan. The report of the expert committee has been circulated to Ministers, MLAs and MPs. It has recommended that steps should be taken to bring in the unified Act in the legislature at the earliest.

Source: The New Indian express

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