In a recent video message, actor-politician Kamal Haasan criticised the Central Government for spending less on healthcare and also shared his ideas on reshaping society post the COVID-19 crisis.
The Makkal Needhi Maiam chief started the video by thanking everyone for the positive response received by his open letter to the Prime Minister of India. Kamal Haasan noted that a major chunk of the budget goes to defence sector rather than healthcare.
"Post Corona, healthcare must be the primary focus of any revamping measure for the country. It was fifty years ago when India got involved in a full-fledged war, but over 16 lakh people die every year due to lack of access to good healthcare. Every year, the annual budget for defence is higher than that of healthcare.
According to budget 2020-21, India's defence spending is 4.7 lakh crores, an amount equivalent to two percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), whereas our healthcare spending is still around one percent for the past decade."
He added, "Neglecting a country's healthcare whilst announcing the army's war preparedness by displaying its abilities is equivalent to murder."
Watch the full speech below: