New Delhi: The Modi government plans to raise the 2018-19 health budget by 11 per cent to $8.2 billion (Rs 52,295 crore).

According to sources, Health Minister JP Nadda had sought a $10 billion budget for stepping up disease control.

As per official records, as on March 31, 2015, there were 1, 53, 655 Sub-Centres, 25,308 Primary Health Centres and 5,396 Community Health Centres (CHCs) functioning in the country. Evidently, given India’s population, these numbers are far from adequate.

Other areas that the industry hopes the Budget will address is encouragement to set up more number of highway accident trauma centres and rescue teams given that India records a large number of deaths due to accidents every year.

The government should find ways to cover the uncovered population under health insurance. India may be having a right to mental health today but it has still to come up with right to health.