Doctors feel medical sector ignored

Vijayawada: Indian Medical Association and Government Doctors' Association said the Union budget is very disappointing and it has no use to the common people. The IMA and Government Doctors' Association expressed dissatisfaction over the allocation made to the medical and service sector in the Union budget released by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Indian Medical Association Andhra Pradesh president Dr C Srinivasa Raju said the Union government allocated only Rs 86,000 crore for medical and health sector in the budget. He said last year the Central government allocated Rs 74,000 crore. Dr Raju said as per the World Health Organisation norms Rs 3.5 lakh crore to be allocated in the country for the medical and health sector. He felt the Union government should have allocated around Rs 1.5 lakh crore as its share and the remaining Rs 2 lakh crore to be allocated by the States. The IMA president felt the Union government should allocate more for medical and health infrastructure for three years in view of the Covid pandemic. He said the country should be prepared to face the pandemics and allocations should be made to meet the requirements of the nation. Dr Srinivasa Raju told The Hans India that more focus should be made on the rural areas. He said MBBS doctors should be appointed in the rural areas and labs, X-ray machines and other facilities should be set up in the rural areas for the convenience of common people. He said the Rs 80,000 crore allocated by the Union government would be sufficient for payment of salaries, supply of drugs and to meet other expenses related to medical and health sector. He said, "The Union budget is very disappointing as far as medical and health care is concerned, and the IMA is not happy with it."

IMA state president Dr C Srinivasa Raju says the government ignored the development of infrastructure facilities in the Union budget