new delhi india approve three-year budget flagship public health program almost 20 percent low health ministry say need accord source previously unreported government document review reuters federal finance ministry august renew national health mission 20 billion fund 2017-20 health ministry estimate requirement 25 billion document show officials familiar plan say finance ministry reduce plan fund spend priorities state governments poor track record spend health budget allot past finance health ministries respond several request comment national health mission one world large health program form backbone public service india provide everything free drug immunization service millions rural poor prime minister narendra modi government hike federal fund overall health budget year part plan improve care meet 2025 goal raise health expenditure 2.5 percent gdp current 1.15 percent national health mission typically account half federal health budget officials say low spend approval would make achieve government 2025 target difficult non-communicable diseases focus maternal child health years program plan broaden priorities tackle rise threat non-communicable diseases ncds face low fund health ministry reduce three-year allocation tackle ncds cancer diabetes 1.4 billion close half estimate need 2.4 billion document show lancet british medical journal last week say ncds cause disease burden india like never 60 percent deaths country 2016 due non-communicable diseases 38 percent 1990 accord publication fund diseases 2020 high recent years lower-than-planned approve fund slow government efforts tackle diseases two government officials say cutbacks ncds spend dangerous ... potentially stall ncd screen management plan say oommen c. kurian health researcher new delhi-based think-tank observer research foundation india year introduce free ncd screen patients 100 district plan eventually cover country beyond non-communicable diseases spend strengthen health system improve district hospitals patient transport service estimate 4.3 billion 2017-20 third low ministry request plan fund immunization 2.9 billion versus 3.2 billion request spend breakdown different scheme finalise health ministry allocate fund india annual budget modi government take step improve public healthcare include 27 percent budget hike year billion accompany cut price critical medical devices drug shamika ravi health expert brook india say modi government also pursue fundamental structural reform improve healthcare rank district hospitals empower state medical officer lot background work happen say ravi also modi economic advisory council however critics say need do address underfunded overburden public health system 900,000 children india die turn five 2016 high world lancet estimate march health officials face criticism government departments national health mission inefficiencies ask rework renewal proposal 2017-20 draw spend estimate 33 billion health ministry revise cost nearly 25 billion finance ministry reduce estimate another billion approve plan document show estimate par back modi government priorities finance ministry want control spend seek balance fiscal deficit target boost growth several government officials aware process say political priorities program roads infrastructure port say one officials speak condition anonymity government also concern state governance capacity spend large health budget efficiently officials say shortage workers bureaucratic bungle slow procurement process plague state health systems 1.4 billion health budget unspent state 2015-16 india federal auditor say early year exclusive india par back plan fund crucial public health scheme