P.K Dhumal, the Chief Minister announced the budget allocation for health sector, which has been increased by 209 percent for the current financial year. The step was taken in order to strengthen the health network in the State.
He said that 80 crores would be spent on construction of roads and bridges, sewerage and water supply schemes in Gehrwin, while adding that attention was being given to road connectivity, the government was trying its best to connect the remaining 460 Gram Panchayats with motorable roads. Emphasizing on the growing importance of organic farming, he asked the farmers to change over from fertilizers to organic farming.
He said that the1st Women IRB had been sanctioned for the State, while making a mention that agriculture which was the basic and vital sector has to be modernized so as to cash it maximum. He also announced upgradation of Marutan, Buhad and Gagudi Health Sub-Centres to Primary Health Centers.
The news mentions that the health sector budget has been increased by 209 per cent. The aggregate health sector budget has increased from Rs. 450 crore in 2007-08 to Rs. 586 crore for 2008-09. This is an increase of about 30 per cent. The capital account budget has increased by about 209 per cent whereas the revenue account budget increased by 16 per cent and the aggregate increase is about 30 per cent. That it as for the numbers to set the perspective straight.
The capital account budget will be applied to the ongoing and new capital projects (building construction). The stock of ongoing works is so large that any increase will be inadequate. What is most important is to prioritise the ongoing projects so that the assets become available for public use soon. One word of caution here is that the existing assets have a crying need for maintenance. To enhance the service delivery to people, the maintenance of existing assets sould receive a much higher priority than in the past. This could be more effectively done by decentralising the maintenance expenditure to the utility level.
On the revenue account side of the expenditure, the 16 per cent increase will be entirely eaten up by the rising wage bills due to IR, additional DAs and increments, leave aside the impending salary revision. The quality of health services leaves much to be desired because the boomimg salary related expenditure is increasingly crowding out the non-salary expenditure. Marginal increase in the non-salary expenditure could enhance the service delivery significantly. We need not spend more but need to spend prudently on this small input which can cause a visible change in the provision and delivery of health services.