Health insurance for unorganised sector inadequate: Apollo

Hyderabad, Feb 28 (UNI) The Apollo Group of Hospitals today said the health insurance scheme for the unorganised sector like weavers and tax exemption for health insurance premium up to Rs 15,000 proposed in the Union Budget were inadequate and a significant distance away from the ultimate goal of mandatory health insurance.

Apollo Hospitals CEO K Hari Prasad, in a press release here, however, lauded reduction in customs duty from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent and removal of service tax on clinical trials, saying it would have a positive impact on the healthcare sector.

Synergy between different stakeholders and private-public partnerships were important tools in realising the true potential of healthcare in India, he said.

Infectious diseases were a major concern for the country. The stress on communicable diseases like HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the Budget was a welcome move, and would help in reducing the disease burden in the lower socio-economic groups, he said. UNI