Indian cabinet defers decision on National Urban Health Mission

The Indian cabinet seems on Thursday 21 February to have deferred a decision on the proposed National Urban Health Mission, putting on hold the government’s “ambitious” urban healthcare plan, which was meant to herald the first step towards universal health coverage in India.

The new mission would come under a National Health Mission and would cost Rs22 000 crore (£2.7bn; €3.1bn; $4bn). The proposal has been cleared by the finance ministry’s Expenditure Finance Committee and the Planning Commission. President Pranab Mukherjee said, “An overarching National Health Mission, …