Health Minister J P Nadda today said, the National Health Policy 2017 is aimed at reaching healthcare in an assured manner to all, particularly the undeserved and underprivileged. In a statement in the Lok Sabha, Mr Nadda said the policy proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP in a time bound manner.<br/><br/>The Minister informed the House that the policy aims at ensuring availability of 2 beds per 1000 population distributed in a manner to enable access within golden hour, the first hour after a traumatic injury, when emergency treatment is most likely to be successful.<br/><br/> Mr Nadda said, in order to provide access and financial protection, the policy proposes free drugs, free diagnostics and free emergency and essential healthcare services in all public hospitals.<br/><br/>Highlighting some of the key targets of the policy, the Minister said that it seeks to increase life expectancy at birth from 67.5 to 70 by 2025 and reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019. It also seeks to achieve and maintain elimination status of Leprosy by 2018, Kala-Azar by 2017 and Lymphatic Filariasis in endemic pockets by this year. Mr Nadda said, the policy also looks at reforms in the existing regulatory system both for easing manufacturing of drugs and devices to promote Make in India, as also for reforming medical education.<br/><br/>The Minister said, the policy informs and prioritizes the role of the government in shaping health systems in all its dimensions -investment in health, organisation and financing of healthcare services and prevention of diseases. <br/><br/>The Policy also advocates development of cadre of mid level service providers, nursing practitioners and public health cadre to improve availability of appropriate health human resource. Union Cabinet had approved the National Health Policy yesterday.