The Media Rumble session on "Voting for Health" was moderated by Abhinandan Sekhri, co-founder of Newslaundry, and revolved around the question of how to make healthcare an important electoral issue. A mix of politicians and healthcare experts, the panel consisted of Pawan Khera, national spokesperson of the Indian National Congress; Manoj Jha, member of the Rajya Sabha; TS Singh Deo, cabinet minister in the Chhattisgarh government; Sujatha Rao, former union secretary in the ministry of health; and Amit Behar, CEO of Oxfam.

The discussion revolved around why health is not a priority for elections, the media and the voter. The panelists discussed questions such as the role of the state in healthcare, the impact of the Covid crisis, and the lack of outrage after the second wave.

Time Codes:

0:00 to 3:08 Introduction and key findings from the Oxfam Report

3:08 to 8:05 Inadequacy of health infrastructure and fall in investment

8:05 to 27:55 Reasons for de-prioritisation of healthcare by media, politicians and the voter

27:55 to 39:49 The need for a ‘Right to Health’

39:49 to 45:06 Electorally successful healthcare schemes

45:06 to 50:38 COVID second wave impact on healthcare as a electoral plank

50:38 to 55:16 Challenges in running a health ministry

55:16 to 56:54 Conclusion

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