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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the world 's largest health insurance scheme, promising free coverage for half a billion of India' s poorest citizens ahead of the country 's national elections. next year.
The bottom 40% of the 1.25 billion Indian individuals will be covered by the flagship program, dubbed "Modicare", unveiled in the federal budget earlier this year.
The 100 million low-income families will receive 500,000 rupees ($ 6,900) – a large sum in India – from their annual health insurance to treat serious diseases.
Modi handed out medical cards for the launch in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand State, in the east of the country.
"We want to strengthen the hands of the poor and accompany them in their quest for good health," he posted on Twitter.
The project is expected to cost the central government and the 29 states $ 1.6 billion a year. Funding will be increased gradually according to demand.
India's overburdened public health system suffers from a shortage of facilities and doctors and most people use clinics and private hospitals if they can afford them.
But a private consultation can cost 1,000 rupees ($ 15), a huge sum for millions of people living on less than $ 2 a day.
According to the government, over 60% of average family spending is spent on drugs and health care.
Many of the poorest just go through it.
A report published this month by the medical journal The Lancet found that substandard health care was responsible for 1.6 million deaths a year in India – the highest in the world.
– "A scam" –
Critics questioned the government's plans to fund such a large safety net, and suggested it was little more than a solution before the May elections.
Modi will seek a second term on a pro-poor policy platform and "Modicare" is a key element of his presentation to low-income Indians.
"This is going to be another scam, that will only benefit private insurance companies.The citizen of the country will realize later that this is nothing but an electoral gimmick," he said. Sanjay Nirupam, from the opposition party.
But K.K. Aggarwal, a cardiologist and past president of the Indian Medical Association, said "the policy on the project should stop."
"It was launched and will change the situation," he told AFP.
Some health care providers have expressed concerns about their absence, fearing that the government has underestimated the cost of some treatments.
Prathap Reddy, president of the private hospital chain Apollo Hospitals, said the private sector was "justifiably concerned" with prices and reimbursements.
"Although we are all working together to make this program a success, there are areas that need to be targeted and refined," he said.
Others claim that it should have included daily primary health care instead of secondary and tertiary care only for more serious and long-term treatment.
"Modicare does not extend to primary health care, which we believe is the weakest link in public health in India," said Rajiv Lall and Vivek Dehejia 39; IDFC Institute.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the world's largest health insurance system, promising free coverage for half a billion of India's poorest citizens.
