UoH team meets Governor to discuss health sector allocations in Union Budget 2023-24

HYDERABAD: Governor of Telangana and Chief Rector of University of Hyderabad Tamilisai Soundararajan convened a discussion in Raj Bhavan on the Health Sector initiatives and allocations proposed in the Union Budget 2023-24. In the discussion, the increase in the allocation of funds for the health sector over the past years and initiatives for various sectors of people were put forth by the Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. BR Shamanna.

Eminent persons in the field of health care and central institutions were invited to participate and provide their inputs and carry easily understandable take home messages from the Union Budget 23-24 especially in the field of health care sector. There was reference and particular importance to delivering quality health care services to the agency areas and vulnerable populations in these discussions.

Joining other heads and personalities of institutions, Prof. Shamanna highlighted the key areas of allocations namely:

· An increase in the budget outlay of 13 percent to the sector since the year 2022-23.

· An overall increase of 27 percent over the last five years to the health sector.

· Public Health Expenditure as a percent of the GDP touching 1.98 percent

· The flagship National Health Mission getting an increased allocation.

· The Universal Health Coverage initiatives getting an additional 10% increase.

He also highlighted the fact that health and medical research got a priority in terms of increasing allocation to the Department of Health Research and a reinforcement to the substantial gains made during Covid-19 pandemic. He provided details on the allocations made to affordable medical devices and medicines, and allocations to the research areas of medical and pharma research and technology and for promotion of collaborative research and innovations in the sector.

For the tribal welfare and health, special provisions through allocations on mission mode for the welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the 2023-24 was made over a period of three years, he said.

The Governor requested all speakers to present a full paper to her office to prepare a compendium to be submitted to the Union Finance Ministry for consideration in the revised estimates. She also urged all institutions present to collaborate, work together and generate knowledge and carry forward initiatives leveraging the allocations to benefit the last mile population.