Health Budget increased in the wake of Corona Pandemic

A total of ₹2,23,846 crore has been allocated for the Healthcare Sector during the Union Budget 2021-22 on February 1, 2021. This year’s health budget saw an increase of 137% compared to the previous year’s.

The 2021-22 Financial Budget allocated ₹71,268.77 crore out of the Heath Budget to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a 10% increase from last year. An amount of ₹35000 crore has also been allotted for COVID-19 vaccine this year as a part of the 2.23 lakh crore spending. During the Budget session, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also hinted on the arrival of 2 new vaccines soon. The government is committed to provide more funds for the vaccine if required, the FM added.

To ensure holistic healthcare, a new centrally sponsored scheme PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will be launched. With an outlay of ₹64180 crore over the next 6 years, the scheme will focus on the infrastructural development in the public healthcare sector. Under the scheme, support will be provided for the development of 17,788 rural and 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centers.

To boost the primary healthcare system throughout the country, integrated public health labs in all districts will be set up along with 3,382 block public health units in 11 states. PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojna will also pave a path for the establishment of 12 central institutions. In addition to these, critical care hospital blocks will also be built in 602 districts of different states.

The government is also committed to strengthen the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). PMASBY will be running alongside the National Health Mission which has been allocated ₹37,130 crore out of the Health Budget 2021-22. Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna will also share ₹7,000 crore out of 2.23lakh crores of the total allocation. Meanwhile The Ministry of AYUSH has been allocated ₹2,970.30 crore. The increase in the allocation for the PLI scheme is supposed to attract more capital investment in the Pharma sector.

The Health Budget proposes an expansion of the Integrated Health Information Portal to all States/UTs to connect all public health labs. It plans on  the operationalisation of 17 new Public Health Units (PHUs) and strengthening of 33 existing PHUs at Points of Entry. 2021-22 FY Budget will provide for the setting up of 15 Health Emergency Operation Centers and two mobile hospitals in the remote areas of the country.

The central government will also be setting up a National Institution for One Health, a Regional Research Platform for WHO South-East Asia Region, 9 Bio-Safety Level III laboratories and 4 regional National Institutes for Virology, from the 2021-22 Health Budget spending.

Mission POSHAN 2.0 will be launched by merging Supplementary Nutrition Programme & POSHAN Abhiyaan for strengthening of Nutritional content, delivery, outreach, and outcome.

Finance Minister has also provided ₹2217 crore out of the Health Budget, for 42 urban centres with a million-plus population, to tackle the burgeoning problem of air pollution.