The survey findings also indicate that those who have benefited from the central government health scheme give due credit to the central government and those who have benefited from the state government health scheme give credit to the state government .
Electoral accountability requires responsibility for the delivery of services. If voters do not think that the government is responsible for the functioning of a particular service, they have no incentive to vote whether that service is well provided.
Providing health facilities, be it good hospitals, medicines or availability of doctors and other medical facilities is the responsibility of the state government. The survey findings indicate that most citizens are also aware that the provision of health facilities is the responsibility of the state government, even though many states do not meet the requirement of spending 8% of the total budget on health, as set by the National were determined. The health policy was prepared in 2017. But the survey also shows that a significant number of people consider healthcare to be the responsibility of the central government and some believe it is the responsibility of all levels of government. This could potentially blur the lines of electoral accountability.
However, a clearer picture emerges when it comes to specific health programs. This suggests the level of awareness that different schemes generate at different levels of government. A large number of Indian prime ministers credit the central government for the popularization of the Jan Arogya Yojana, better known as Ayushman Bharat – the flagship national health insurance policy initiative that is funded by both the central and state governments. People also give credit to the state government for the health insurance schemes run by the state. Yet opinion was divided on where the responsibility for the Mission Indradhanush plan lay.
The survey findings also reveal that those who have benefited from the central government health scheme give due credit to the central government and those who have benefited from the state government health scheme, they give due credit to the state government for availing the benefits. Give credit to This indicates that Indian voters carefully evaluate the role of the government in providing or improving existing public health facilities. This careful monitoring of citizens can put pressure on various governments as well as the central government to pay attention to the issue of public health.
Sanjay Kumar is Professor and Co-Director of Lokniti-CSDS