The government is seeking an allocation of Rs 6,400 crore for Ayushman Bharat.
The Narendra Modi government has announced a 16.65 percent increase in its allocation for the health sector as part of the Interim Budget 2019. The government announced that is was seeking Parliament's approval for expenditure totalling to Rs 96,139.27 crore on healthcare.
Here is a 10-point overview of the government's healthcare spending plan for the year:
1. Budget documents released by the government show outlays of Rs 90,689.86 crore for the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Rs 3,374.65 crore for the Department of Health Research and Rs 2,254.76 crore for the Ministry of AYUSH. That is a total of Rs 96,139.27 crore.
2. The combined outlay is a massive 16.65 percent more than the amount budgeted for 2018-19, which was Rs 82,415.8 crore. It was also a significant 9.97 higher than the Revised Estimates Rs 87,421.74 crore, which was what the government actually spent.
3. Of the outlay of Rs 94,064.51 crore for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Centre plans expenditure of Rs 33,199.65 crore for Medical and Public Health, and give Rs 43,585.35 crore as grants-in-aid to the governments of states and union territories.
4. The Ministry has also made an outlay of Rs 6,440.52 crore for the heathcare sector in the Northeast. This is 6.36 percent more than what the government spent in 2018-19 and 56 percent more than the Budget estimates announced last year.
5. The Modi government's flagship healthcare initiative - the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), widely referred to as 'Ayushman Bharat' - received an allocation of Rs 6,400 crore, which is an increase of Rs 4,000 crore.
6. Delivering the Budget speech in Lok Sabha in the place of Arun Jaitley, Piyush Goyal said around 10 lakh people have so far availed of free treatment under Ayushman Bharat. The total cost of their treatment was estimated at Rs 3,000 crore.s
7. Goyal also announced that the government would set up the 22nd All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Haryana. He said 14 of the 21 AIIMS that are either operational or are being set up have been announced since 2014.
8. The Budget speech also included the government's vision for the coming decade. Health was defined as one of the dimensions of the vision. "We will be aiming at healthy society with an environment of health assurance and the support of necessary health infrastructure," Goyal said.
9. "By 2030, we will work towards a distress free health care and a functional and comprehensive wellness system for all. Such a healthy India built with the participation of women having equal rights and concern for their safety and empowerment," he added.
10. The Department of Health Research received an outlay of Rs 3,374.65 crore, up from the Rs 3,190.58 crore the government spent in 2018-19.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "The government's budget for the healthcare sector has seen a boost.")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}