Budget 2021: FM Sitharaman sets aside Rs 2.23 lakh crore for healthcare; brings in ‘Atmanirbhar Health Yojana’

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced that the government has set aside a total of Rs 2.23 lakh crore for health and wellbeing of the nation in FY21-22. With this, the government has more than doubled the spending on health from that in the last fiscal year. She further introduced the Aatmanirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore over six years. Moreover, the government plan to set-up 15 health emergency centres to further strengthen the National Centre for Disease Control, the FM said.

As the country continues to battle the pandemic, FM said that under Bharat Health Yojana, the central government will provide Rs 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines. India currently has two vaccines and with the sum set aside the country can expect two more new vaccines. According to FM the country presently one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates of 112 per million population, in addition to one of the lowest active cases of about 130 per million.

FM further announced that ‘Poshan Abhiyan’ will be from here rebranded as ‘Mission Poshan Abhiyan’ with an aim to provide nutrition to all. The government also plans to build four regional laboratories, nine biosafety laboratories. Furthermore, under Jal Jeevan Mission, the government has allocated an expenditure of Rs 2.87 lakh crore for 4,378 urban local bodies.