Economic Survey 2020-21
The Union Finance Ministry on Friday pressed on the need for higher public spending on healthcare, its accessibility and affordability.
As health is a state subject in India, spending on healthcare by the states matters the most when examining government healthcare spendings, according to the Economic Survey 2020-21, which was presented in the Parliament on Friday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
According to the National Health Accounts, 2017, 66 per cent of spending on healthcare is done by the states.
In terms of healthcare budget, India ranks 179 out of 189 countries in prioritisation accorded to health in its government budgets. This is similar to donor-dependent countries such as Haiti and Sudan.