Delhi, Puducherry, Meghalaya consistently focussed on health expenditure: PHD Chamber research

New Delhi:  Delhi, Puducherry and Meghalaya have “consistently focussed” on health expenditure between 2001 and 2017, while states like Madhya Pradesh and Bihar “have not spent much” on health during that period, a research study by an industry body has claimed.

The PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry has based its findings on a research analysis of the expenditure done by various states during two different periods — 2001-2008 and 2009-2017.

“The health expenditure of Delhi as the percentage of aggregate expenditure increased significantly to 9.6 per cent (average during 2009-2017) from 7.1 per cent (average during 2001-2008) with the improvement of 2.5 percentage points,” according to the study.

The PhD Research Bureau released the analysis of the study on Saturday.

In July 2015, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had asserted that education and healthcare were Delhi government’s topmost priority, and the expenditure in the two sectors was an investment.

“We consider the money being spent on education and health as an investment for the future,” he had said.

The study by PhD also said that the expenditure on health in Puducherry as percentage of aggregate expenditure “increased significantly” to 7.8 per cent (average during 2009-2017) from 7.0 per cent (average during 2001-2008), with improvement of 0.8 percentage points, while the corresponding figures for Meghalaya were 6.2 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively.

Among the 31 states and Union Territories, expenditures by Gujarat, Telangana, Nagaland, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh were also analysed.

“However, the state of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana are not spending much on health expenditure and it is less than 4 per cent,” it claimed.

“Haryana has increased its health expenditure to 3.5 per cent (average during 2009-2017) from 2.9 per cent (average during 2001-2008) with the improvement of 0.6 percentage points but less than 4 per cent,” the study said.

Bihar has declined its health expenditure to 3.7 per cent (average during 2009-17) from 4.4 per cent (average during 2001-2008) with the decrease in 0.7 percentage points whereas Madhya Pradesh remains stagnant without any change in health expenditure, it said.

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, headquartered in Delhi and established in 1905, is a proactive and dynamic multi-state apex organisation working at the grass-root level with strong national and international linkages to industry and trade.