Government spending for healthcare increased under Modi regime: Nadda

Leader of House in Rajya Sabha J.P. Nadda speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday (March 19, 2025).
| Photo Credit: Sansad TV via ANI

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) on the working of his Ministry, said that the health policy adopted by the Narendra Modi Government in 2017 had shifted the focus towards comprehensive healthcare development from a curative approach.

Countering the Opposition’s charge that the Centre was not helping the States in meeting healthcare expenses, the Minister said the Union Government was hand-holding States to develop infrastructure along with modern research and technology in the field.

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During the debate, the Opposition had demanded that at least 1% of the GDP must be spent on health. Mr. Nadda said the expenditure on healthcare by the Modi government had reached 1.84% of the GDP and was steadily moving towards the target of 2.5%. “In 2013-14, the government health expenditure, which includes States and the Centre, was 1.15%, and when the policy was enunciated, it was 1.35%, and now, it is 1.84% of the GDP, and we are going very steadily towards 2.5%,” Mr. Nadda said.

He added that under the National Health Policy of 2017, equal treatment is being given to modern medicine and traditional systems, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. Mr. Nadda said the All India Institute of Medical Research was now promoting research on traditional medical systems and a comprehensive approach would help in expanding the country’s healthcare structure.

He said 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs were functional in the country, and 369 crore people had visited these primary health centres. “We have decided to test the hypertension, blood pressure and diabetes of every person at the age of 30. We will do oral check-ups, dental health, and mental health [check-ups] as well. Hypertension screening has reached 100 crore, diabetes increasing to 88.5 crore,” Mr. Nadda said, explaining the Centre’s strategy towards combating non-communicable diseases.

Earlier, participating in the debate, BJP member Bhubaneswar Kalita said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had increased Budget allocation on healthcare multi-fold when compared with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, and increased MBBS seats.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha demanded that medical post-graduate seats should also be increased in tune with the increase in MBBS seats. Citing the situation in Ukraine, where Indian medical students had to return due to the war, he said by increasing medical seats, students would not have to leave the country to study medicine.