What is New Free Drug Policy launched by Govt of India?

Objective: To provide medical benefits to country’s 121 Crore population, the Govt of India has launched Free Drug policy.

• Under this policy every citizen of the country will be entitled to free medicines in all public health centers spread across the country. Only generic drugs will be provided. Branded drugs have been kept out of the policy.
• The Policy will be effective over the next 5 years and it will support around 40% population, which spends less than $1.25 a day on health.
• The policy will cost the exchequer around $5.4 billion.

Currently, India spends only around 1.2 % of its GDP on health. As per the report of Organisation for Economic Co-operation, only seven countries in the world have public health expenditure less than India in terms of share of GDP. India faces serious shortage of medical facilities. The country also has a high infant mortality rate of 66 as compared to 19 in China and 21 in Brazil.