Ayushman Bharat gets major boost in health budget, outlay is ₹69,000 cr

With an allocation for ₹69,000 crores, the health outlay in the Union Budget 2020-2021 has been increased from the previous year’s outlay of Rs 62,659 crore.

The health allocation factored under the new aspirational theme of the Union Budget looks to provide an impetus to Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJ-AY). As many as 112 aspirational districts have been identified, including tier-2 and tier 3 cities, to have empanelled hospitals to treat the economically weaker sections under the scheme.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “At the moment, there are 20,000 empanelled hospitals as part of the scheme. We plan to add more. The proceeds from the taxes of medical devices will be used to develop the facilities in the districts.”

The budget outlay has also sought to expand the Mission Indradhanush, the universal immunisation program, with five more vaccines.

The FM also proposed to attach a medical college to a district hospital in public-private partnership mode. She said, “There is a shortage of qualified medical doctors both general practitioners and specialists; it is proposed to attach a medical college to a district hospital in PPP mode; details of the scheme to be worked out soon.”

Batting for a tuberculosis-free India, ‘TB harega India Jeetega’ campaign aims to eliminate the disease by 2025. The budget also proposed to establish Jan Aushadhi Kendra or medical stores that provide quality drugs at affordable rates across all districts in the country by 2024.