'Modicare' to introduce free medicine, health insurance for citizens

  |   05 November, 2014   |   433   |   3980

In a major health sector reform, the 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 under the ambit of the proposed National Health Assurance Mission.



The reform to be packed under the mission will subsume the UPA government's National Health Mission and 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 HT.