New Delhi, July 26: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today hit out at the government for "very slow" progress in the health insurance cover to the people and said this was one of the conditions on which her party had extended support for the liberalisation of the insurance industry. "The coverage of health insurance must expand significantly - indeed this was one of the conditions on which I had extended the support of the Congress party to the liberalisation of the insurance industry four years ago. But unfortunately progress has been very slow," she said.
Gandhi was speaking at a convention of elected representatives on the role of the political leadership in combating HIV/Aids, organised by parliamentary forum on HIV/Aids.
Stating that over one-fourth of spending on health in the country was by individuals, Gandhi said in other countries, the proportion of public investment in health was significantly higher. "We must move in this direction quickly".
Expressing a "few special concerns", Gandhi said that the country could not overlook or accord any less importance to the risk of HIV/Aids through injectible drug use. This was of particular significance in the North-East which was somehow not getting adequate focus, she said.
Gandhi said it was "paradoxical" that while Indian companies were world leaders in the manufacture of anti-aids drugs and were supplying such drugs to many other countries, India did not have drug therapy as part of her aids control programme. "We are the only major country to have this dubious distinction. Should we not be making a beginning?", she asked.
Bureau Report