India launches world's largest health insurance programme

The Indian government has launched what it calls the world’s biggest universal health insurance programme. 

It's called 'Modicare', named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it's a flagship national health insurance scheme. 

The initiative is aiming to provide free insurance to 500 million people. 

Rebecca Bundhun reports from Mumbai, India.

The measures are Modi’s latest attempt to reform a public health system that faces a shortage of hospitals and doctors. 

The government has also in recent years capped prices of critical drugs and medical devices and increased health funding. 

Still, India spends only about 1 percent of its GDP on public health, among the world’s lowest, and the health ministry estimates such funding leads to “catastrophic” expenses that push 7 percent of the population into poverty each year.

TRT World spoke to Neha Poonia in New Delhi.