Caught between public outcry and Congress reservations, the government on Tuesday indicated that it was willing to review the Budget proposal to levy a service charge on healthcare costs of individuals. But those opting for medical insurance might have to remain under the ambit of the levy. ''Whether the service tax will be on 25-bed hospitals or whether it will be on all tests is something that can be discussed,'' revenue...

Poor allocation of funds to key social sectors shows the government’s lacklustre approach to inclusive growth. We are reaching the end of a remarkable fiscal year,” said the finance minister as he rose to present the Union Budget 2011-12. Agreeing with the government that the year gone by presented us with several opportunities and challenges to address critical concerns pertaining to the social sector, the overall sense is that this Budget,...

The budget has allocated of total Rs160,887 crore, or 36.4% Plan allocation, to the social sector. The Bharat Nirman group of welfare schemes has together been allocated Rs58,000 crore. The income of workers and helpers at anganwadis, or government-run day-care centres, has been doubled. The move is expected to benefit nearly 2.2 million people. However, it has not been replicated for voluntary accredited social health activists of the National Rural...

The Rajasthan government on Sunday suspended a drug inspector and an employee of the government Umaid Hospital in Jodhpur, where 13 women have died of excessive bleeding during childbirth in the past two weeks. It announced an ex gratia of Rs.5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, besides blacklisting two pharmaceutical and surgical equipment firms. The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting convened at Chief Minister Ashok...

Contaminated intravenous fluid has killed at least 12 pregnant women at Jodhpur's government-run Umaid Hospital in the last 10 days, according to hospital and police sources. Four more women were in a serious condition and had to be put on ventilators on Thursday. The hospital administration lodged a criminal case against the IV fluid manufacturer, Parental Surgical India Pvt Ltd (Indore), and the local distributor, Anshul Pharma, on Thursday as the...