India: Affordable healthcare soon for all

In a major health sector reform called the National Health Assurance Mission, the Indian government will ensure that every resident in India has access to affordable healthcare with provisions of free essential medicines while bringing over a dozen diseases including cancer and heart ailments.

The reform to be packed under the mission will also create infrastructure to provide generic variants of 348 essential medicines and fitness related diagnostic facilities across India.

To be launched from the next financial year, the mission will also unveil the country's first national health assurance cover for all at affordable rates similar to Obama healthcare introduced in the United States, senior government sources told the Hindustan Times.

"The government will chip in to pay insurance premium for the poor. Others will have to buy an insurance cover to get benefits under the Mission but the premium would be less than the existing health insurance rates," a health ministry official said, adding the poor are likely to be identified on basis of their annual household income.