-The Times of India In a significant intervention aimed at settling a noisy policy feud, PM Manmohan Singh has asked health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to sort out differences over the thrust and formulation of the health policy in the 12th plan with Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The PM intervened during the full meeting of the Planning Commission on Saturday when Azad took up issues that have led to...

-PTI The country's chief of World Health Organization on Thursday favoured regulation of private Hospitals and tax-based financing of universal health coverage proposed in the 12th Plan. "The private sector in India is represented by five star Hospitals. Their services need to be regulated," WHO's country representative Nata Menabde said at a media roundtable organized to discuss World Health Organisation's Country Cooperation Strategy with India over the next five years till 2017. Menabde...

-The Hindu A Planning Commission draft document has made proposals that fail to reflect the case for expanding and improving public-funded medical services and reining in private operators In the health sector, the buzz these days is all about Universal Health Care (UHC). While health activists see in it potential to ensure access to quality health care for common citizens, commercial bodies seem to be eyeing the huge scope for profit from...

-Live Mint NAC wants Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna to be absorbed into new policy for universal health coverage  The National Advisory Council (NAC), which sets the policy agenda for the Congress party led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, wants the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) insurance scheme to be absorbed into the new policy for universal health coverage (UHC), taking the latter closer to realization.   This is part of the government’s bid to move...

-Live Mint The deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, in an interview, spoke about the challenges of pushing public health reforms India is likely to finalize a draft Plan document next week to introduce universal health coverage in India. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, spoke in an interview about the challenges of pushing public health reforms with limited resources at hand.  Edited excerpts: * Will the government be able to...