Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday accused the ruling BJP of complete mismanagement of the healthcare sector and called it one of the major failures of the Narendra Modi government.
Ramesh reiterated the Congress' promise of universal right to health as made in the party's manifesto.
He said the Congress manifesto guarantees universal right to health and added it is required amid rising cost of healthcare and health insurance.
The Congress leader also slammed the government for keeping health insurance in 18 per cent GST slab and said over 63 per cent Indians did not have health insurance.
"The complete mismanagement of the healthcare sector is part of the long list of failures of the Modi Sarkar's 10 years of Anyay Kaal. On June 4, every Indian can rest assured the Congress Party's guarantee of a Right to Health for All," Ramesh said in a post on X.
"In our Nyay Patra has guaranteed a universal Right to Health for every Indian. At the center of this Right to Health is Rs 25 lakh in health coverage for every single citizen," he said.
Ramesh said the need for these revolutionary healthcare guarantees is very clear today.
"The short-sighted Modi Sarkar has slapped an 18 per cent GST on health insurance. Health insurance premiums have grown at 4x higher than inflation. Healthcare costs have grown at 18-20 percent per year according to PHDCCI, an industry body," the Congress leader said.
"The cost for Rs 10 lakh of health cover has grown by 75 percent in just the last 6 years. More than 90 crore Indians (63 per cent) have no health insurance of any kind," he added.
The Congress has in its manifesto 'Nyay Patra' promised universal and free healthcare in public health centres such as hospitals, clinics, primary health centres, mobile healthcare units, dispensaries and health camps; free healthcare to include examination, diagnostics, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation and palliative care.
The party has also promised implementation of the Rajasthan model of cashless insurance up to Rs 25 lakh for universal healthcare.