Cabinet approves National Health Policy

The proposed National Health Policy, which has been pending for the past two years, aims to provide assured health services to people as an entitlement.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the National Health Policy, official sources said. They said that the nod was given at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Health Minister J P Nadda is likely to make a statement in both houses of Parliament on Thursday about the main features of the policy, the sources said.

The government has said that it is committed to providing 'affordable and quality healthcare' to all people of the country.

The proposed National Health Policy, which has been pending for the past two years, aims to provide assured health services to people as an entitlement. It, however, got stuck following criticism that it was too long and did not provide any mechanism to implement the agenda.

The draft also addressed the issues of universal health coverage, reducing maternal and infant mortality rate, as well as making drugs and diagnostics available free at least in the public healthcare system of the country.

OneIndia News (With IANS inputs)