NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, May 8, 2014

In the heat of the world’s largest election many of India’s biggest political parties are promising better health coverage for the south Asian nation’s citizens.

The ruling Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi even recently promised free medicine and treatment for the poor.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has pledged to revamp India’s healthcare policy. It says it will introduce a National Health Assurance Mission to reduce the out-of-pocket spending of citizens.

Not to be left behind, the Aam Aadmi Party, which is contesting national elections for the first time this year plans to make healthcare a right and says it will guarantee availability of essential drugs free of cost to all people.

India could use more investment in its health infrastructure as it spends a smaller slice of its gross domestic product on healthcare than most countries.