London: Lancet, the widely-respected medical journal, has criticised the Modi government for not paying sufficient attention to India's health sector and has warned that the country could face a serious crisis under the weight of its own ill health.

The journal will take the Indian government to task for failing to make health a priority, while drawing attention to Modi's poll promise of rolling out universal health coverage in a paper- written by some of the top medical experts-in its edition of December 11.

Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of the global maternal newborn health conference, Lancet's editor-in-chief Richard Horton said, "I don't see any new policies, new ideas, any significant public commitment and, most importantly, no financial commitment to the health sector in India." He said, "Since Modi has come, health has completely vanished from the government's focus. India is on the edge. For India, health is an issue of national security. The government can't protect the sovereignty of its nation, cannot ensure sustainability of its growth unless it has a healthy population."