New Delhi, July 31 (IANS): Public health expenditure in India has dropped from 1.3 percent of the GDP in 1990 to 0.9 percent in 2012 and there is need to increase public funding in the health sector, said Indian Medical Association (IMA) Wednesday.

The IMA in a white paper on Healthcare Reforms said the presence of public health care was not only weak but also underutilised and inefficient.

Meanwhile, private sector is quite dominant in the healthcare sector, with over 70 percent of healthcare delivery being provided by the private sector.

"Healthcare is one the fastest growing service sector in India. Given the growing importance of the sector and the significant development of trade in health services, proper investment and reforms are required to boost this sector," the paper said.

It took note of multiple programs launched by the central government to put the healthcare sector towards a corrective track of covering all sections of the society.

"The National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission are the programmes started to achieve the required goals. There are many challenges in the healthcare sector, which need to be handled carefully," it said.