HEALTHCARE

Healthcare, like education, is a public good. Full healthcare is the right of every citizen – child, adult and senior citizen.

Providing healthcare is a shared responsibility of the Central and State Governments.

  1. Congress promises that the total government expenditure on healthcare will be doubled to 3 per cent of GDP by the year 2023-24. The Annual Budgets will indicate the step up in each year in order to achieve the target in 2023-24.
  2. Congress promises to enact the Right to Healthcare Act that will guarantee to every citizen the right to healthcare services, including free diagnostics, out-patient care, medicines and hospitalisation through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals.
  3. We are of the firm belief that the insurance-based model cannot be the preferred model to provide universal healthcare in our country. Congress promises to vigorously promote and implement the free public hospitals-model to provide universal healthcare.
  4. Congress will substantially expand the free Dial-an-Ambulance service and put on the road more ambulances in all the districts of India.
  5. Trauma and Emergency Centres will be established on all National and State Highways to cater to the travelling public as well as the population in the surrounding area.
  6. We will expand child healthcare services (pre-natal, post-natal and pediatric) and geriatric services in all public hospitals.
  7. We will implement the Clinical Establishments Act, 2010 to bring accountability to the functioning of private and public clinical establishments.
  8. Congress promises to promote, and eventually mandate, the digitisation of medical records on the foundation of a robust ICT infrastructure with suitable provisions for privacy, mobility and inter-operability.
  9. We promise to formulate a National Telemedicine Policy based on international best practices.
  10. India’s current doctor to population ratio is 1:1681 and government doctor to population ratio is 1:11,528. Congress promises to increase the number of doctors, including specialist doctors, significantly by establishing more medical colleges, increasing the capacity of medical colleges and providing scholarships and loans to medical students.
  11. Congress promises to license pre-qualified institutions in the public sector and private sector to teach and certify medical professionals such as nurses, paramedics and medical technicians.
  12. We will promote AYUSH, the Indian systems of medicine, in the provision of healthcare services and especially in preventive healthcare.
  13. Congress will implement a programme that will enable State Governments to revamp and equip the network of primary health centres (PHCs). PHCs will provide all primary health services, including preventive measures and wellness services, and become referral centres for serious medical cases.
  14. We will ensure that all vacancies at all levels in PHCs and in public hospitals are filled within a period of 1 year.
  15. We will expand the ASHA programme and appoint a second ASHA worker in all villages with a population exceeding 2500 persons.
  16. Congress promises to implement the National Mental Health Policy, 2014 and the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 in letter and spirit. We will ensure that mental healthcare professionals are appointed in all public district hospitals and that mental healthcare services are provided in such hospitals.
  • KAAM

    Employment And Growth

  • DAAM

    An Economy That
    Works For All

  • SHAAN

    Pride In Our Hard
    And Soft Power

  • SAMMAN

    A Life Of
    Dignity For All

  • SUSHASAN

    Governance, Transparency And Accountability

  • SWABHIMAAN

    Self Esteem For
    The Deprived