text:
Healthcare Startup Facilitator
Advisory & Editorial boards
InnoHEALTH
InnovatioCuris
Magazine volumes
Volume 6 – Year 2021
Endorsed events
Digital HealthcareIssuesMagazine
Budget 2020: What the healthcare sector was expecting from the union budget
By InnoHEALTH magazine digital teamJuly 6, 2020No Comments
Home » Budget 2020: What the healthcare sector was expecting from the union budget
Whenever there is a discussion about Healthcare, the views expressed are mainly through the lens of the stake holder. Hence, we miss the big picture and our focus streams towards narrow goals. So, before we express our expectations from the Union Health Budget 2020, let us look at some of the key facts covering the globe and India:
Key facts (Globe): At least half of the world's population still do not have full coverage of essential health services. About 100 million people are still being pushed into extreme poverty (defined as living on 1.90 USD or less a day) because they have to pay for health care. Over 930 million people (around 12% of the world's population) spend at least 10% of their household budgets to pay for health care.
All UN Member States, including India, have agreed to try to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Key facts (India): In 2018-19, the government spending on healthcare in India was only slightly greater than 1% of the GDP; this is very low compared to government spending on healthcare at 7% to 12% of GDP in other developing countries. The expectation is positive steps to move the budget allocation and therefore increased government spending on healthcare.
While the Indian healthcare sector has grown at a healthy double-digit rate, challenges in access to quality and affordable healthcare persist in large parts of the country. With less than 1 physician per 1000 population, India is well behind its peer countries. It needs an additional 3.6 million hospital beds to reach the recommended capacity.
Only about 27% of India's population is covered around any form of health insurance and the out of pocket expenditure on health is 62.4% in India as compared to the world average of 18.2%.
The medical technology industry plays a crucial role throughout the healthcare lifecycle and has been instrumental in transforming healthcare ecosystems across the world. For India too, the MedTech industry offers the potential to address the healthcare issues by using a mix of existing as well as cutting-edge technologies.
Out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenses drove 55 million Indians- -more than the population of South Korea, Spain or Kenya–into poverty in 2011-12, and of these, 38 million (69%) were impoverished by expenditure on medicines alone, according to calculations by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), an advocacy, which were released on June 6, 2018, and based on the official Indian standard for poverty line–a monthly expenditure of Rs 816 in rural areas and Rs 1,000 in urban areas.
Part of the root cause is low public investment in health. According to WHO, India ranks 184th out of 191 countries in terms of percent-of-GDP spending on health. At around $29 (PPP), Sri Lanka, China, and Thailand all invest three to four times more per capita. The low provision of pro-poor services leads to an undue reliance on out-of-pocket financing for health. Currently, 85.9% of private healthcare is financed out-of-pocket—only Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh have higher rates in South Asia.
Healthcare inflation is about 15 to 17 % hence healthcare costs go up by 15% to 17% annually. The Indian healthcare sector has the potential to be amongst the highest revenue and employment generator for the country. The ability of private healthcare providers to create five direct jobs plus many more indirect jobs per bed and two and half times multiplier on capital invested, should be considered as a positive by the policy makers.
The answer to India's Healthcare woes is Universal Health Coverage (UHC): UHC means that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. It includes the full spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
UHC enables everyone to access the services that address the most significant causes of disease and death, and ensures that the quality of those services is good enough to improve the health of the people who receive them.
Protecting people from the financial consequences of paying for health services out of their own pockets reduces the risk that people will be pushed into poverty because unexpected illness requires them to use up their life savings, sell assets, or borrow – destroying their futures and often those of their children.
Achieving UHC is one of the targets the nations of the world set when adopting the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Countries that progress towards UHC will make progress towards the other health-related targets, and towards the other goals. Good health allows children to learn and adults to earn, helps people escape from poverty and provides the basis for long-term economic development.
What UHC is not:
There are many things that are not included in the scope of UHC:
UHC does not mean free coverage for all possible health interventions, regardless of the cost, as no country can provide all services free of charge on a sustainable basis. UHC is not just about health financing. It encompasses all components of the health system: health service delivery systems, the health workforce, health facilities and communications networks, health technologies, information systems, quality assurance mechanisms, and governance and legislation.
UHC is not only about ensuring a minimum package of health services, but also about ensuring a progressive expansion of coverage of health services and financial protection as more resources become available.
UHC is not only about individual treatment services, but also includes population-based services such as public health campaigns, adding fluoride to water, controlling mosquito breeding grounds, and so on. UHC is comprised of much more than just health; taking steps towards UHC means steps towards equity, development priorities, and social inclusion and cohesion.
How can countries like India make progress towards UHC?
Many countries like India are already making progress towards UHC. All countries can take actions to move more rapidly towards it, or to maintain the gains they have already made. In countries where health services have traditionally been accessible and affordable, governments are finding it increasingly difficult to respond to the ever-growing health needs of the populations and the increasing costs of health services.
Moving towards UHC requires strengthening health systems in all countries. Robust financing structures are key. When people have to pay most of the cost for health services out of their own pockets, the poor are often unable to obtain many of the services they need, and even the rich may be exposed to financial hardship in the event of severe or long-term illness. Pooling funds from compulsory funding sources (such as mandatory insurance contributions) can spread the financial risks of illness across a population.
Improving health service coverage and health outcomes depends on the availability, accessibility, and capacity of health workers to deliver quality peoplecentred integrated care. Investments in quality primary health care will be the cornerstone for achieving UHC around the world. Investing in the primary health care workforce is the most cost-effective way to ensure access to essential health care will improve. Good governance, sound systems of procurement and supply of medicines and health technologies and wellfunctioning health information systems are other critical elements.
Why is primary health care the soul of UHC?
Primary health care is an approach to health and wellbeing centred on the needs and circumstances of individuals, families and communities. It addresses comprehensive and interrelated physical, mental and social health and wellbeing. It is about providing whole-person care for health needs throughout life, not just treating a set of specific diseases. Primary health care ensures people receive comprehensive care, ranging from promotion and prevention to treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care as close as feasible to people's everyday environment.
WHO has developed a cohesive definition of primary health care based on three components: ensuring people's health problems are addressed through comprehensive promotive, protective, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care throughout the life course, strategically prioritizing key system functions aimed at individuals and families and the population as the central elements of integrated service delivery across all levels of care;
systematically addressing the broader determinants of health (including social, economic, environmental, as well as people's characteristics and behaviours) through evidenceinformed public policies and actions across all sectors; and empowering individuals, families, and communities to optimize their health, as advocates for policies that promote and protect health and wellbeing, as co-developers of health and social services through their participation, and as self-carers and caregivers to others. Primary health care is the most efficient and cost-effective way to achieve universal health coverage around the world.
To meet the health workforce requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage targets, over 18 million additional health workers are needed by 2030. Gaps in the supply of and demand for health workers are concentrated in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The growing demand for health workers is projected to add an estimated 40 million health sector jobs to the global economy by 2030. Investments are needed from both public and private sectors in health worker education, as well as in the creation and filling of funded positions in the health sector and the health economy.
UHC emphasizes not only what services are covered, but also how they are funded, managed, and delivered. A fundamental shift in service delivery is needed such that services are integrated and focused on the needs of people and communities. This includes reorienting health services to ensure that care is provided in the most appropriate setting, with the right balance between out- and in-patient care and strengthening the coordination of care. Health services, including traditional and complementary medicine services, organized around the comprehensive needs and expectations of people and communities will help empower them to take a more active role in their health and health system.
Can UHC be measured?
Yes. Monitoring progress towards UHC should focus on 2 things: The proportion of a population that can access essential quality health services. The proportion of the population that spends a large amount of household income on health.
Together with the World Bank, WHO has developed a framework to track the progress of UHC by monitoring both categories, taking into account both the overall level and the extent to which UHC is equitable, offering service coverage and financial protection to all people within a population, such as the poor or those living in remote rural areas.
WHO uses 16 essential health services in 4 categories as indicators of the level and equity of coverage in countries:
Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health:
antenatal and delivery care
full child immunization
health-seeking behaviour for pneumonia Infectious diseases:
tuberculosis treatment
HIV antiretroviral treatment Hepatitis treatment:
use of insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria prevention
adequate sanitation
Noncommunicable diseases:
prevention and treatment of raised blood pressure
prevention and treatment of raised blood glucose
tobacco (non-) smoking
Service capacity and access
basic hospital access
health worker density
access to essential medicines
health security: compliance with the International Health Regulations
Each country is unique, and each country may focus on different areas, or develop their own ways of measuring progress towards UHC. But there is also value in a global approach that uses standardized measures that are internationally recognized so that they are comparable across borders and over time.
WHO has shown the way:
UHC is firmly based on the 1948 WHO Constitution, which declares health a fundamental human right and commits to ensuring the highest attainable level of health for all. On 25–26 October 2018, WHO in partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan hosted the Global Conference on Primary Health Care, 40 years after the adoption of the historic Declaration of Alma-Ata. Ministers, health workers, academics, partners and civil society came together to recommit to primary health care as the cornerstone of UHC in the bold new Declaration of Astana. The Declaration aims to renew political commitment to primary health care from governments, non-governmental organizations, professional organizations, academia and global health and development organizations.
The Union Budget for Healthcare should be framed with this background:
With a majority in Lok Sabha, the Modi Government can amend the constitution to make health a fundamental human right (on the same grounds as the 1948 WHO Constitution) and commit to ensuring the highest attainable level of health for all. This can be made as a budget announcement which will be historic step for India.
Priority sector status must be accorded to the healthcare industry.
A separate bureaucratic cadre christened as "Indian Healthcare Services" on lines like IAS should be established to ensure that Health gets the highest priority.
We need a multi-pronged approach from the government to strengthen and reform the healthcare sector in India. On the one hand, it involves improving the state of public healthcare by increasing budgetary allocation, establishing more Medical/Paramedical/Pharmacy/ Nursing colleges and improving primary healthcare facilities. On the other hand, it involves measures to enable the private sector to spread its presence beyond the urban population. This will help in improving accessibility for secondary and tertiary care in tier 2/3 towns and rural areas. For the latter to happen, the government must offer major incentives and tax breaks to private healthcare organizations setting shop in non-urban areas. These incentives can include income tax breaks for first five years of operations, help in procuring land, making medical equipment GST free for such hospitals and relaxation on service tax on hospital inputs. Similarly, establishing a mechanism to offer fund support or subsidization in treatment cost to private hospitals in smaller towns and rural areas can go a long way in bridging the accessibility gap. This will also help generate jobs and make quality healthcare more accessible.
Home and Ambulatory Healthcare should be recognized as a separate sub-sector of Healthcare as it forms the backbone of primary healthcare and addresses lack of adequate hospital beds especially for rural areas. This should also include increased tax incentives for preventive health checkups under 80D.
Allowing FDI in E-pharmacy sector and recognition of E-pharmacies under Drugs and Cosmetics Act is another impending reform.
The government's flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, in its first year, has managed to empanel over 15,000 hospitals. Currently only 3.57 crore families of the original 10.74 crore families have been issued golden cards, and this number is expected to go up significantly this year. The government will therefore need to substantially increase its previous year's allocation of INR 6000 crore as it attempts to expand the scheme's footprint this year and eventually merge it in the long run with other schemes such as ECHS, ESI, and CGHS.
The government must consider credit guarantee for hospitals under PMJAY and other Government insurance schemes, since payments take time to come to the hospital. The government should incentivize /give credit guarantee to lenders who are willing to fund the receivables.
Challenges across multiple dimensions that were disablers to the growth of indigenous medical devices manufacturing in India need to be addressed. These include aspects around the macroeconomic environment, the medical devices ecosystem and, those specific to the medical devices industry.
Unfavourable duty structure: An unfavourable duty structure in many segments/sub-segments make imports cheaper than manufacturing in India segments/sub-segments make imports cheaper than manufacturing in India.
Lack of comprehensive laws and lax enforcement mechanisms for IP protection: IP protection for novel technology is critical for the success of global medical devices players investing outside their home market. In the absence of enforceable IP laws, global players would lack confidence to invest in manufacturing assets, thus limiting India manufacturing (suppliers, raw material etc.) for medical device manufacturing.
Medical technology has the potential to do the same for healthcare by leapfrogging over the current infrastructural, skill based, geographical and affordability constraints. Medical Technology can bridge the distance between the care provider and the patient thereby helping patients in remote areas access specialist and specializedcould intervene include: Setting up an independent authority for medical devices and enabling faster grant of patents.
Supporting local demand of medical devices through public health and health insurance programs as well as by collaborating with the private sector through PPP models. Providing relevant financial incentives for the industry.
Ease of doing business: India still lags behind most countries in terms of ease of doing business. Due to complex regulatory requirements, products currently require multiple agency approvals. This leads to time delays at multiple layers, at both the national and state levels.
Limited availability of skilled workforce and restrictive labor laws: Despite sufficient human capital, there are unfavourable labor laws and limited trained workforce in India to install operate, repair and service equipment.
Inadequate ecosystem support (suppliers, raw material etc.) for medical device manufacturing. Medical technology has the potential to do the same for healthcare by leapfrogging over the current infrastructural, skill based, geographical and affordability constraints. Medical Technology can bridge the distance between the care provider and the patient thereby helping patients in remote areas access specialist and specialized equipment present in large cities far away. Technological advancements in the fields of health monitoring and diagnostics can help in detecting health issues early on thereby reducing overall cost of care and enhancing wellness levels of the society. Similarly, technological interventions are rapidly increasing the precision and efficacy of treatment modalities thereby improving clinical outcomes. However, to realize this opportunity at scale rather than as isolated, fragmented initiatives, both the government and the industry will need to make concerted efforts.
Some of the key areas where government could intervene include: Setting up an independent authority for medical devices and enabling faster grant of patents. Supporting local demand of medical devices through public health and health insurance programs as well as by collaborating with the private sector through PPP models. Providing relevant financial incentives for the industry. Supporting innovation in India by providing capital and infrastructure support to MedTech start-ups. In addition, as the road map for medical devices manufacturing is charted, learning that created growth trajectories of other industries can be adopted: Liberalization and opening up of markets policy reforms (ease of doing business).
Financial and non-financial incentives (in terms of import duty, export duty, SEZs). Designing comprehensive laws and a robust regulatory environment for high IP industries. Government expenditure to initiate ecosystem development. Government should also come up with medical innovation fund separately to boost health tech start-ups.
The Government must allocate funds for improving the school infrastructure to ensure hygienic and healthy school environment, improved meal experience, clean hand wash and sanitation facilities. The Government must focus on the convergence of drinking and potable water schemes of the Jal Shakti Ministry with the MidDay Meal Programme by earmarking the budget for the scheme.
The Government must make budgetary allocations for monitoring the growth and development of all the children in Primary and Upper Primary Schools and set up a parallel linkage with the National Health Mission in cases of referrals. We are also hopeful that the MDM Programme will be aligned with the parameters of POSHAN Abhiyan to address child malnutrition using various interventions.
Life saving equipment such as ventilators, BIPAP and CPAP, etc. have been placed under heavy taxes. Even something as basic as crutches and wheelchairs have been put under the 5% to 7.5% GST bracket. These are essentials and should not have been taxed. It is perplexing to see how the medical equipment spare parts are being taxed under the highest slot of 28% GST. This is highly debilitating for the healthcare industry. There should be a critical evaluation of the situation and that there should be serious thought given to make healthcare essential equipment tax free.
AI has the potential to solve many problems of Healthcare Delivery in the country. Access to large volumes of quality data is vital for the success of AI. More budget allocation towards R&D in medical device innovation and digitization of care delivery process through right investment in tools, infrastructure and training will help us to meet some of the challenges in the Healthcare Industry.
The government should accord due recognition to the emergency medical services (EMS) industry and recognise it as an independent sector within the healthcare industry. 90% of the EMS space is controlled by the government. The sector is in urgent need of impetus in the form of budgetary allocation of funds so that even the remotest parts of the country have access to timely quality medical care. There is a severe demand supply gap when it comes to the availability of ambulances in India with the ratio of ambulances per capita pegged at 1:146249. We need to move to a ratio of 1:60000 and this can only happen if the government incentivises the industry in the form of subsidies. The government should also invest in setting up skill centres for training paramedics and emergency medical technicians. While the government is already taking steps to improve road connectivity, we believe the government should look at increasing the accessibility of emergency medical services through station ambulance services on national highways and medical units on trains.
Globally there is acceptance of the growing significance of molecular genetics in diagnosis as well as clinical management of various cancers. The government should help create a regulatory environment extremely conducive for promoting research in the field of cancer genetics by creating a hub for cancer research. Quality research in cancer genetics will go a long way in making new therapies available to Indian patients at very affordable costs.
The Indian Pharmaceutical industry is a sunrise industry with a competitive advantage for India. We should leverage India's position by unleashing entrepreneurial spirit through policy stability and ecosystem.
There is an utter need to spread awareness amongst the masses to promote health insurance which has become a must considering the current healthcare cost in the country. Enhancing the tax rebate under Section 80D from the current value of Rs. 25, 000 to Rs. 1,50, 000 can be a great move by the government. Under this year's budget, the government must waive off the GST charges which are currently 18% on health insurance premiums.
Another expectation in this year's budget is giving the consumers ability to pay level premiums to 5 years with multiple payment modes as available in other insurance industries like Life Insurance. The payment methods can be extended to monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and limited pay in order to make the premium payment process convenient for the consumers. This will surely make Healthcare in India affordable and accessible.
Currently, the health insurance industry in India has a long gestation period and it takes a long time for the insurers to achieve a break-even. As per the industry experts, the limit of eight years for carry forward and set-off of business losses is not sufficient. This limit must be increased.
India is the second most populous country in the world. The death rate has declined but birth rates continue to be high in most of the states. Health care structure in the country is overburdened by increasing population Family planning programs need to be (re)activated by the Government.
To boost Quality in Healthcare, the Government must incentivize organizations who have NABH Accreditation; it could be in terms of tax benefits, GST benefits, Local self governments tax benefits, etc.
Composed by Dr. Rajeev Boudhankar, Health Systems Management
Dr. Rajeev Boudhankar has over 30 years of healthcare experience in Hospitals & Health Systems Management. He was instrumental in restarting a tertiary care hospital and supported till its full operationalization after a major natural disaster. He has worked as a consultant in a major Hospital Management Consultancy Company and also as a core team member in setting up Public Health Program in association with an International Agency and State Government.
Previous PostQuarantined gateways
Next PostAre we prepared for disasters like COVID-19 leading to Mass Casualties?
Author InnoHEALTH magazine digital team
More posts by InnoHEALTH magazine digital team
About InnoHEALTH Magazine
InnoHEALTH Magazine is an RNI (Registrar of Newspapers for India) registered magazine initiated in July 2016 under the InnovatioCuris banner. This magazine focuses on healthcare innovations and has been termed one of its kind in India. The articles composed on the magazine are curated on this website.
Aritificial intelligence 4
Cyber security 9
Digital Healthcare 7
Exclusive Interview 19
Expert Opinion 12
Featured startups 1
Guest Column 6
In Focus 2
Industry speaks 18
InnoBRIDGE 1
InnoHEALTH 69
InnoHEALTH Conference 22
InnovatioCuris 15
Latest innovations 3
Newscope 36
Persona 26
Policy 15
Providers 5
Telemedicine 5
Theme 30
universal-health-care-reality-or-myth 3
Women's Corner 11
Get instant updates through our RSS feed
2nd Conference and Workshop of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) in India
Year 2020 for InnovatioCuris
Covid 19: Pandemic Lessons for Future
Signs & symptoms of cancer that need Attention Immediately
Polypharmacy in the elderly – role of the family physician
Healthcare trends September – November 2020 December 21, 2020
Year 2020 for InnovatioCuris December 23, 2020
Signs & symptoms of cancer that need Attention Immediately December 23, 2020
2nd Conference and Workshop of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) in India January 8, 2021
Polypharmacy in the elderly – role of the family physician December 23, 2020
Sector 34, Noida
Uttar Pradesh – 201307
magazine@innovatiocuris.com
AI (35) AIIMS (13) Artificial Intelligence (43) Ayushman bharat (12) Blood Pressure (12) Cancer (15) Data (11) Depression (15) Diabetes (36) Digital Health (15) DNA (11) Drugs (11) FDA (14) health (23) healthcare (81) Healthcare Delivery (16) Healthcare Innovation (20) Health Sector (11) Hospitals (12) IC (11) India (24) India Science Wire (11) innohealth (19) InnoHEALTH Magazine (43) innovatiocuris (50) innovation (48) Internet of Things (19) IoT (20) IT (12) Lifestyle (20) Machine Learning (20) Medical devices (16) Medicine (20) Mental Health (14) MRI (13) Non Communicable Diseases (12) Obesity (13) Public health (19) Startup (16) Technology (54) Telemedicine (13) Treatment (21) Tuberculosis (13) WHO (29) World Health Organization (15)
© 2021 InnoHEALTH magazine.
Connect with us now


You will find many studios, flats, houses and villas for your holiday in Tione di Trento. Contact the owners directly on the IHA site and enjoy the best rental prices, promotions and last minute deals that meet your budget. Visit the picture gallery on private lettings for a break with family or friends. All holiday listings on IHA are verified, plan your journey to Tione di Trento with absolute confidence!
Apartment 2 ° floor: one double bed and possibility bed toddler with sofa bed for 2 persons.
A warm... in the wonderful Valle di Ledro... to enjoy a world of emotions, discovering the beauties of our nature, away from the daily stress!
Garda Trentino; Lake Ledro; Although the locations; Apartment in a house in 200 meters from the Lake with sune area of 2000 m² of land, the last building of a short driveway.
Beautiful holiday home surrounded by greenery, overlooking Lake Ledro, in a strategic, quiet and very sunny position.


A 70-200mm telephoto zoom lens is often a pro photographer's most-used lens aside from a general purpose zoom. Engagements, weddings, parties, events, theater, stage performances, high school senior, fashion, documentary, lifestyle, zoo, sports, product and landscape photography are all great uses for this focal length range.
Those wanting to add a 70-200mm lens to their Sony kits will likely be considering the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS and Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lenses. With that in mind, we're going to take a closer look at these lenses to see which might be the best investment option.
The FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS is sharper than the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS in most direct aperture comparisons and shows less lateral CA overall. As can be expected from a wider aperture lens, the f/2.8 lens has less peripheral shading at f/4 than the f/4 lens has wide open. That difference is mostly erased at f/5.6 and the f/4 lens has even slightly less vignetting in some f/8 comparisons. The f/4 lens has slightly less distortion.
Who should opt for the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens?
Wedding and event photographers, who need to freeze action in low-light situations, will greatly benefit from the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS's twice-as-wide aperture which allows them to freeze motion in half as much light compared to the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS. Portrait photographers will also appreciate the increased background blur the f/2.8 lens is capable of, enabling even better/more desirable separation between the subject and background. The mount gasket seal of the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS indicates that it is a better weather sealed lens compared to the f/4 lens. That Sony proudly offers a gasketing illustration for the f/2.8 lens (shown below) but not the f/4 model bolsters this assertion.
Those planning on using their 70-200mm lenses in inclement weather, such as sports photographers, will likely want to spring for the f/2.8 model.
Who should opt for the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Lens?
Those who do not need an f/2.8 max aperture can enjoy many of the benefits found in the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS – including a highly useful focal length range, a constant max aperture, OSS and included accessories – in a lens that's smaller, lighter and less expensive. Photographers who intend on using their 70-200mm lenses in good light and in pleasant weather, those who prioritize smaller/lighter gear because of transportation limitations (hikers, backpackers, etc.) and/or those who are budget limited will likely find the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS to be the perfect lens for their needs.
Permalink: Should I Get the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS or Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Lens?


Brad Clark is a life-long resident of Fort Worth and has been serving the community since the early 1980's. He and his team have over thirty years of insurance experience and will take the time to understand your unique situation and find the best solution to protect your family. At Goosehead Insurance, we represent a variety of top-rated local and national carriers, so we can find the best price and the best coverage for your needs. Buying insurance can be a complex process, and getting it right is imperative. Brad and his team will make the entire process from running quotes to signing documents extremely easy. Call Brad today to make sure your insurance needs are being met. We are looking forward to working with you!


Jeff Richardson At another time, I would sometimes go to The Hotel Congress on a Sunday night; (Friday and Saturday nights a madhouse, with all the Hipsters and Vintage sets); a sullen bartender, torn leather booths and filthy cowboy curtains. Playing the jukebox; songs like this one; feeling pleasantly alive and melancholic; alcohol and dreamy thoughts.
Agent K(ahunasan) Kiwi Indie Rock outfit that has slight pyschedelic surf guitar instrumentation to song structures.
Hazy dreamlike sonic landscapes are underpinned by Gussie & Lily's intertwined female vocals.
Pristine vocals on "Ocean O."
Compelling & bewitching though slightly melancholy in nature. Favorite track: Wander.
Marshall Lochbaum Crystal-clear production reveals only a cloudy, creepy haze. The latter is effected by groovy drumming, clean guitars, and dreamy vocals, but I haven't a clue what genre they add up to. Favorite track: Cold Skin.
Thanks to Rhys Stannard, Fabian Hunter, Jed Heyward and Ike Zwanniken.


Commission communication on "Better careers and more mobility: a Eurpean partnership for researchers"
To devise the right policies in areas affecting the social life of all European citizens, we need to broaden citizen participation in policy design. How to achieve this in school-to-work transitions is the focus of a peer-learning activity to be held in Thessaloniki on 19-20 November 2007.
The European Qualifications Framework was recently adopted formally by the European Parliament and the Council as a Recommendation.
Project for Latvian Schools Senior Students "Labyrinth of Professions"


Sometimes the more one grows in religious practice, the more they grow in self righteousness and judgement. This is a sign of a problem inside. It is a sign, that internal cleansing is necessary. Growing in religion should only make us grow in compassion, not in judgement. The heart filled with God is softened, not hardened. If it is becoming hardened towards people, perhaps it is not God filling the heart, but rather the self, decorated by the false cloak of piety and religious devotion.


A NEW personalised breast cancer programme which will map patients' DNA and RNA to tailor treatment for individuals launches at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.
The project, which was launched with £1.1 million funding from Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT), will analyse the genome and all expressed genes of tumour cells from 250 breast cancer patients to improve diagnosis and tailor treatment.
The researchers hope to find out how this personalised diagnosis and treatment programme could be implemented in the National Health Service's (NHS) breast cancer unit in Cambridge and hope that one day this will extend around the UK.
Professor Richard Gilbertson, director of the CRUK Major Cancer Centre at Cambridge University, said: "The Personalised Breast Cancer Project is truly ground-breaking. By sequencing the entire tumour genome of women with breast cancer in our clinic and integrating this extensive data with other biological and clinical observations, we will assign patients to optimal therapy, changing the way we treat breast cancer forever."
Professor Carlos Caldas, project lead at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: "We already know that there are around 10 different types of breast cancer, as we reported in 2012, and these respond differently to the available treatments. We're looking at ways to predict this response ensuring individual patients get the best treatment for them. We hope that this project will accelerate progress in developing personalised treatment for breast cancer patients."
Dr Jenny Longmore, Director of Research at Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT), said: "ACT is pleased to have been able to support the initiation of this clinical research project with more than £1.1 million of funding from many generous supporters. The project will involve patients from the Cambridge Breast Unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital, and we expect that the outcomes of the research will be valuable to patients both nationally and internationally in years to come."
Sir Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive officer, said: "Today eight in 10 women with breast cancer survive their disease for at least 10 years. The ability to tailor treatment to individual patients will help ensure this number continues to rise and should help reduce side effects. This project will bring us closer to making personalised medicine a reality in the NHS and beyond."


Kenya National Bureau of Statistics hereby releases Consumer Price Indices (CPI) and inflation rates for July, 2016. These numbers have been generated using data collected during the second and third weeks of the month under review. The prices were obtained from selected retail outlets in 25 data collection zones located in Nairobi and 13 other urban centers.
Agricultural Statistics refer to a branch of economic statistics that deals with the collection, processing and analysis of data on domesticated plants and animals. Rural statistics refer to broad range of statistics (economic, social, demographic, agricultural,etc.) covering the rural areas of a country. In this case rural statistics refer to those statistics that are agriculture related.
Agriculture sector is the backbone of Kenya's economy. It contributes about 25 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Kenya and is the source of livelihood for most of the rural population; as such it is inevitably the key to food security and reduction of poverty. Agriculture is not only key to economic growth of Kenya but also the determinant of equity in development and is fundamental to reducing poverty and hunger.
Over the years, in order to improve the agricultural sector, Kenya has developed several policy documents the main ones being: Kenya Vision 2030 (2008-2030) which is the long term development blueprint for the country. Its aim is to transform Kenya to a newly industrializing middle income country providing a high quality life to its citizens by 2030. The Vision was motivated by a collective aspiration for a better society in Kenya by 2030. Implementation of the Vision would also enable achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Kenya.
Other agricultural policy documents developed over time included: Kenya's Strategy for Revitalizing Agriculture (launched in 2004); Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (2010-2020); National Horticulture Policy, 2012; Fisheries Policy, 2008; National Livestock Policy, 2008; Kenya Forest Policy, 2008; Cooperative Development Policy, 2008; Food and Nutrition Security Policy, 2011; etc.
Credible data is required to inform and undertake the planning process; compilation of reliable national accounts; monitor sector performance; monitor and evaluate the impact of policies and programmes and contribute to the decision-making process. Agricultural data is required by a wide spectrum of stakeholders ranging from decision-makers in government, the private sector, academia for research and teaching and the donor community.
To enable monitoring and evaluation of the performance of agricultural development policies, through various indicators, it was imperative that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, initiate the process of preparing the national strategy for the development of agricultural statistics.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics hereby releases the Producer Price Index (PPI) for the second quarter of 2016. Producer Price Index measures the gross changes in the trading price of products on the domestic and non-domestic markets, at all stages of processing. The price changes are measured from the perspective of the producer. The producer prices are collected as at 15th February, 15th May, 15th August and 15th November of the year. These dates correspond to the first, second, third and fourth quarters of the year respectively. The Producer Price Indices are grouped according to the International Standards of Industrial Classifications of All Economic Activities (ISIC) Rev 4. The overall producer prices decreased by 1.28 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 compared to a decrease of 1.85 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2016. The 'year on year' PPI inflation rate, from June 2015 to June 2016 was 0.87 per cent. Download Producer Price Index (PPI) Second Quarter 2016..
The Leading Economic Indicators highlights trends in Consumer Price Indices (CPI) and inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, international trade, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, building and construction, tourism and transport. Consumer Price Index (CPI) expanded from 167.07 points in April 2016 to 167.99 points in May 2016.


Mastercard, a technology company in the global payments industry, has appointed Beatrice Cornacchia as Head of Marketing and Communications, Middle East and Africa. In this role, Cornacchia will leverage her extensive expertise and knowledge of the business and brand's key pillars and senior leadership credentials to drive business, advance competitive advantage and build the brand across the two continents.
The Middle East and Africa is one of Mastercard's fastest growing regions. Having recently inaugurated its 14th regional office, Mastercard is continuously investing in the best talent and technologies to better serve the needs of its stakeholders.
Ms Cornacchia is a Mastercard veteran who joined the firm 26 years ago in 1991, and has since headed strategic sales functions and numerous marketing teams in a succession of key roles including Head of Consumer Marketing, Europe, Head of Issuer and Merchant Marketing, Europe, and Head of Marketing, Italy and Greece.
"As a technology company, we can only deliver value to our stakeholders by consistently innovating to meet the needs of consumers and setting the benchmark for industry standards. With this new leadership role, we continue to integrate fresh perspectives to drive our stakeholder communications to a whole new level as we reinforce our position as the payments partner of choice in the region and beyond," said Raghu Malhotra, President, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard.
"Mastercard's strong stakeholder relationships along with our customer-centric approach to business remain the key drivers of our growing success. We are delighted to welcome Beatrice as we continue to strengthen our team in the Middle East and Africa," Malhotra concluded.


text:
'Nigeria earned N5.5tr in eight months'
By Agency Reporter On Oct 1, 2012
Nigeria earned N5.5 trillion from mineral and non-mineral resources revenue between January and August this year, a data from the Federation Accounts Allocations Committee showed on Monday.
The figures obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja revealed that the country recorded the highest revenue of N825.39 billion in July.
Out of the total amount generated so far in 2012, a total of N1.5 trillion was recorded to have been lodged into the Excess Crude Account (ECA) between January and August.
A portion of the revenues above the benchmark oil price are saved while the remaining revenue is distributed among the federal, state, and local governments based on a set formula.
NAN reports that records from the FAAC during the months under review however contained only information on lodgments into the excess crude account and not withdrawals made from it.
NAN recalls that on September 14, the accountant-general had announced that the balance in the ECA was $8.03 billion, following lodgment of N124 billion into the account in August.
NCC uncovers 'virus' attacking organisations
Similarly on August 15, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama told reporters that one billion dollars was withdrawn from the account for distribution among the federal, states and local governments "to execute some on-going projects.''
A breakdown of the country's revenue in the month of July showed that mineral revenue accounted for N646.47 billion while the non-mineral revenue amounted to N178.92 billion.
In other months, FAAC recorded N666.32 for January, N766.77 in February, N726.77 in March and N626.17 for the month of April.
Also, a total of N586.91billion was credited to the national treasury in May, N763.55 billion in June and N564.88 billion for the month of August.
Notably, the country recorded its least revenue of N564.88billion in the month of August, compared with figures recorded in the months of May, April and January, respectively.
The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, headed by Mr. Jonah Otunla, computes the figures and also distributes monthly revenue from the Federation Accounts to the three tiers of government.
The office attributed the shortfall in oil revenue to decline in production, poor sales and strikes embarked on by Labour unions in January.
FAACNigeria
Bayelsa to immortalise Abacha,honour Alamieyeseigha
We must believe in Nigeria as a nation – Jang

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Ship, baby, ship! Calls come for US to export oil
Published Fri, Oct 4 2013 1:15 PM EDT Updated Fri, Oct 4 2013 1:45 PM EDT
Patti Domm@pattidomm
Ictor | E+ | Getty Images
Now that the U.S. has edged past Russia as the world's largest oil and gas producer, the drumbeat to export some of that oil bounty is expected to get louder as U.S. production continues to grow.
The North American energy picture has been evolving rapidly, as U.S. producers use drilling advances to extract oil and gas from shale rock and other difficult-to-access areas. That has created a boom, with the U.S. expected to produce an average 7.5 million barrels a day of oil in 2013 and 8.4 million barrels a day in 2014, according to the Energy Information Administration. The U.S. still imports about 8 million barrels a day.
The U.S. also has the world's cheapest and most abundant natural gas supply. Increased exports of natural gas are already on the horizon, with four export terminals approved and expected to begin operating by 2015. But federal law prohibits the export of U.S. crude to most countries—only nations that have free trade pacts with the United States can be sent oil exports—even though the U.S. has become a net exporter of refined petroleum products and is looking to export even more.


Learn more about TV and internet service providers in Euclid, OH then call Allconnect to sign up today!
If you just moved to Euclid, OH and are looking for an internet provider, you have 3 options to choose from. Take a look at what options are available in your area.
AT&T offers DSL internet and has excellent coverage with service in 100% of Euclid, OH. Prices start at $30.00/mo.* with speeds ranging from 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
Spectrum offers cable internet and has excellent coverage with service in 100% of Euclid, OH. Prices start at $44.99/mo.* with speeds ranging from 30 Mbps to 100 Mbps.


text:
Q: Vaadin14 - how to set Helper Text above the field in ComboBox I know there is a way like this
listBox.addThemeVariants(CheckboxGroupVariant.LUMO_HELPER_ABOVE_FIELD);

But ComboBox does not have addThemeVariants. So How we can set the helper text above the field.

A: Like this:
ComboBox<String> combo = new ComboBox<>();
combo.setItems("foo", "bar");
combo.setHelperText("Oh no");
combo.getElement().getThemeList().add(CheckboxGroupVariant.LUMO_HELPER_ABOVE_FIELD.getVariantName());

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


For more than a decade, Earth Day didn't happen in Columbus. Well, technically it did - it was just hard to find.
For more than a decade, Earth Day didn't happen in Columbus.
Well, technically it did - it was just hard to find.
You could've stumbled upon a few nonprofits and neighborhood groups gathering trash or planting trees. But from roughly 1994 to 2006, the city went without a large-scale event for the international environmental holiday.
Then, almost out of nowhere, Green Columbus changed everything.
What started in 2007 as the group's attempt to get 500 people to work four hours each has blossomed into the largest coordinated Earth Day volunteer effort in the country.
If you weren't able to help out last weekend, you can celebrate local green gains Saturday, April 23, at Franklin Park Conservatory during a daylong festival of art, music and eco-friendliness.
As Green Columbus events always do, Earth Day 2011: Lighten Up ends with a party.
"We do not have the largest Earth Day celebration in the world," said Erin Chacey, director of Green Columbus and this year's event. "It's the community-service projects that we are doing at a level that no one else in the country - and possibly the world - is doing."
About a billion people in 192 countries will commemorate the holiday founded in 1970 and observed officially on April 22, and some cities will draw bigger crowds than Columbus to eco-friendly festivals.
But no group in America coordinates a bigger number of work sites or volunteers.
"Green Columbus has done a really good job with volunteers," said Franklin Russell, a coordinator with the Earth Day Network, which organizes events around the globe. "Other cities are asking how to organize volunteer events, and Columbus is in that discussion."
More than 1,400 people worked a total of 3,900 hours during the first Green Columbus event, nearly double the original goal. By 2009, the number of participants jumped to 3,679.
Last weekend, 137 work sites spread from Big Darby Creek to Bexley, Delaware to Groveport. About 3,370 young, old and in between yanked invasive species, picked up litter, planted trees, prepared community gardens and built butterfly habitats.
And it hailed on Saturday.
"Everyone I've worked with has been so excited about the event and working together," said Cameron Goodyear of Clintonville, who helped organize two work sites this year. "People feel empowered to contribute - which you don't find a lot in our culture these days."
So how did a nonprofit group convince a city with no formal celebration that Earth Day is awesome?
At first, it simply connected the dots.
"We're really good at partnering," said Tad Dritz, Green Columbus' former director. "There were pockets of environmentalism all over the place that we tapped into with Earth Day. They were community-sized events, rather than citywide."
Smaller operations, fueled by growing buy-local and go-green movements, became part of the group's user-friendly Earth Day database, where site leaders could advertise projects and locals could pick the one that fit.
"We're about streamlining environmental practices - and that only happens when people are talking to each other and working together," Chacey said.
While connecting efforts around Central Ohio, Green Columbus began to attract many not involved previously with eco-friendly initiatives. The group's message was upbeat. Annual themes insisted that small changes matter - and that everybody could make a difference.
This year's premise, "Lighten Up," refers to reducing your carbon footprint, but it also pokes fun at environmentalism's familiar doom-and-gloom approach. The goal is to blur the boundaries that often keep activist and everyday person from joining forces.
"For example, hunters and environmentalists, they watch birds," Chacey said. "The point is, they both want the birds to be there. That's what people should be focusing on."
And, to bring people together, the group threw a party.
"No one was doing a large-scale volunteer effort and a party," Dritz said. "Now we call it a Columbus-style Earth Day event. People [in other cities] were kind of doing one or the other."
During the first several years, volunteers worked in the morning, washed their hands and hit Goodale Park for an afternoon of entertainment. Eventually organizers gave the party its own day, and the event blossomed alongside volunteer efforts.
This year's celebration will feature music, live art hosted by ARTillery and booths manned by both artists and environmentalists. It's open to all, though volunteers will receive a few freebies, like a scoop of Jeni's ice cream or a beer from Columbus Brewing Company.
"We're having such success with volunteers because people in Columbus are paying attention to what's going on in the world," Chacey explained. "And if you're paying attention to what's going on, then you're going to want to take some sort of action."


» Halloween 2007: Disco Ball 4.0!
Home » Halloween » Halloween 2007: Disco Ball 4.0!
Disco Ball 3.0 was a bit of a pain to deal with!
Clearly, at some point I needed to revisit the costume & do it better! Basically, the problems were that it needed to be more durable (it got scuffed up easily), it could look better, & it was hard to get into and out of. There had to be a better way I thought & it was too much fun to leave behind.
So a few months went by and I was contacted by a woman who wanted to make spherical costumes for her kids (what a dedicated mom!) and asked me for advice. This actually happens fairly regularly, though usually around Halloween (for example here are some Australian Disco Ballers I helped, dancing at their company party. They look like Disco Ball 2.0 designs (paper maché) without the speakers). Anyway, this woman, a doctor, emailed me back to say that instead of paper maché, she used cast plaster & it was MUCH easier to deal with & that it was much sturdier!
Using paper maché, I had to also coat the inside with spray insulation to make the costume strong & this was a pain, and the resulting costume was never as strong as the pourable foam Disco Ball 3.0. But I realized plaster could solve all of that.
I also realized though that as hard as the plaster was, it would still be relatively weak when it was blown up to Disco-Ball-person size. So I decided that I would put a couple of layers on. So I blew up the big balloon & got plastering. It was super fun to work with the Rigid Wrap – I just cut up triangles (they lay flat on curved surfaces) & got messy.
After 2 layers, I popped the balloon & stepped back – it looked AWESOME. This would have been fine for a casual Disco Ball 🙂 but given that I was going to put a heavy speaker system in there & I would be roving through parties with drunk people and packed dance floors, I needed sturdy!
I needed the sturdiness of the pourable foam Disco Ball 3.0. This is when inspiration struck again, I could just pour the foam into the insides of the new Disco Ball & let it form a thick, hard, inner shell! Brilliant! This effectively gave me all the upsides of Disco Ball 2.0 (nice shape) and all the upsides of Disco Ball 3.0 (seriously sturdy costume) without any of the MANY downsides of pourable foam (hard to make a mold, gets everywhere, sticks to everything, destroys homes, attacks children, covers body with painful hard plastic, votes Republican – you get the idea).
I also used some more pourable foam to mount the speaker system: 3.0's speaker system kept falling out & was a pain to mount in the ball. I should have done this even better than what is pictured, I covered the components in foil & set them into the hardening foam where I wanted them. I should have placed the batteries closer to where they attached & I should have used more foam to surround them – they still all fell out too easily. Luckily I can add this later.
I made some padded shoulder mounts out of soft foam from last year's dinosaur costume to make Disco Ball 4.0 much more comfortable to carry around on my shoulders.
Update (10/16/09): Since a lot of people have asked, I got the balloon at a local party store. They sell 3 ft. balloons. Also, I bought the mylar at TAP Plastics a local chain, but you can probably find it at a hobby shop?
Update (10/21/10): Since folks have asked, I've put some basic cost guess-timates in the comments. Also, FYI, I'm building Disco Ball 5.0 – so check back in a few weeks!
Update (11/18/10): 2 things: 1) for more details on how to make a Disco Ball, make sure you read the comments here, and 2) DISCO BALL 5.0 ROCKED – check it out here!
It looks fantastic! Yea for rigid wrap!
I have an idea for the speakers, if you should do a 4.0: cut wholes in the ball itself so that the speakers look like just another "mirror" square. Do you know what I mean? Then you won't have the speakers on your shoulders.
I am having my 30th in a few weeks and I wanted to go as a mirror ball (theme is 70s, 80s, disco and/or retro!) as I am a complete glitter retro freak, but I was thinking about using material and hula hoops (as I was thinking I needed movement to hug people etc)… but you look so extremely awesome and your instructions are so fantastic… that I may just have to make one like yours! Thanks so much for putting your instructions up on the web. and I loved the other australians at their company party! so cool!!
anyway, thanks again. i will send you photos if I end up getting the chance to make one!
i really want to make your coatume….wear did u get speakers and a sub from….i cant seem to find a store with ballons as big as 3 ft any suggestions?
Where can you get pourable foam from? Would Home Depot or somewhere like that carry it?
What did you use to cut holes in the plaster once it hardened?
Love your plans for the disco ball – thank you for sharing. 🙂 What was the estimated cost for making your ball?
Hmmm – the total cost of Disco Ball 4 – um dunno – maybe $100 – $125. The foam is expensive and the plaster stuff cost a bit. The speakers are another $100 maybe.
This year I'm making Disco Ball 5.0 – check back in a week or two for pix!
Jen – Just your normal box-cutter / utility knife.
Also FYI- I bought self adhesive mylar mirrors. They come in a 4×4 square so I just cut them in quarters. They were so easy to cut and apply!
You'll need about 4-5 packs to cover the disco ball.
Please do post pics of your costume Carla & others!!
Working on cutting the Mylars and putting them on~ I find that this is the hardest part!!!!
were can I get the speakers and sub? battery pack?….help please!
Just a question, where would I find such a huge balloon?
How much rigid wrap did you need?
How many boxes of rigid wrap did you need and what did you use to coat it – plaster you bought or did you use flour and water?