Government spend on drugs just Rs14 per person

PATNA: Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, a health activists’ group in the country, on Sunday urged the state government to increase the annual expenditure on drugs from Rs 200 crore to Rs 500 crore.

“As per a survey conducted by Jan

Swasthya Abhiyan

, the expenditure on drugs by the state government was only Rs 14 per person in 2014-15. If the government increases the total spend on drugs, it will bring the expenditure per person to Rs 40. During treatment, two-thirds of the total spending by a person is only on drugs,” convenor of

Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Dr Shakeel

said while addressing a workshop on Sunday.

The survey found that the cost of treatment per person is Rs 2,047 per year in the state. “The state government’s contribution is just Rs 338 per person. The out-of-pocket expenditure is 82%, which is borne by the patient. As per the National Health Account Estimate, which covered 20 states in the country, Bihar has the least expenditure per person on health,” Dr Shakeel said.

It was also found in the survey that maximum people who visited primary health centres (PHCs) for treatment had to buy drugs from the market. “Over 20% patients could not find the prescribed drugs in the PHC,” Dr Shakeel added. The survey also revealed that out-of-pocket expenditure for pregnant women visiting government institutions for delivery in the state is Rs 1,724. In the course of the survey, 74% dalit pregnant women, 55% pregnant women from general category and 40% Muslim pregnant women said that they were forced to take loan on a high rate of interest for their treatment.

Health minister Mangal Pandey, who was also present on the occasion, said the state government was trying its best to make required drugs available in hospitals. “The government has set up 104 ‘Jan Aushadhi Kendras’ in the state to ensure availability of quality medicines at affordable prices. Our goal is to increase this number to 895,” the minister added.