Congress will bring the right to health if elected to power: Jairam Ramesh

Accusing the BJP government of mismanaging the healthcare sector in India, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, on May 11, said that his party’s manifesto guarantees the universal right to health for all citizens. He added that the right is required as the cost of healthcare and health insurance has risen nationally.

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Mr. Ramesh also slammed the government for keeping health insurance in the 18% GST slab and said over 63% of Indians did not have health insurance.

"The complete mismanagement of the healthcare sector is part of the long list of failures of the Modi Sarkar's 10 years of Anyay Kaal. On June 4, every Indian can rest assured the Congress Party's guarantee of a Right to Health for All," he said in a post on X.

"In our Nyay Patra has guaranteed a universal Right to Health for every Indian. At the center of this Right to Health is ₹25 lakh in health coverage for every single citizen," he said.

"The short-sighted Modi sarkar has slapped an 18% GST on health insurance. Health insurance premiums have grown at 4x higher than inflation. Healthcare costs have grown at 18-20% per year according to PHDCCI, an industry body," the Congress leader said. "The cost for ₹10 lakh of health cover has grown by 75% in just the last 6 years. More than 90 crore Indians (63%) have no health insurance of any kind," he added.

In its manifesto, the Congress has promised universal and free healthcare in public health centres such as hospitals, clinics, primary health centres, mobile healthcare units, dispensaries and health camps; free healthcare including examination, diagnostics, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation and palliative care.

The party has also promised implementation of the Rajasthan model of cashless insurance up to ₹25 lakh for universal healthcare.