Budget 2021: Healthcare Sector Gets Massive Boost; FM Allocates 35,000 Crore For COVID Vaccine

Budget 2021 Healthcare Sector: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the PM Atmabirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana which will spend Rs 64,180 crore for healthcare over a period of 6 years. Keeping note of the pandemic, Nirmala Sithraman allocated additional Rs 35,000 crore for Covid Vaccine funds.

Covid vaccination programme in India

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022. Starting the Budget speech Finance Minister laid down the 6 main pillars of this year's budget with Health and well being the first point.

Focusing on the Health Care sector, FM Nirmala launched Aatma Nirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crores. "The government will set up 15 health emergency centres. It will strengthen the National Center for Disease Control," she said.

Moving on to India's vaccination programme, FM Nirmala lauded the Modi government for conducting the world's largest and successful inoculation drive and said that the government will provide Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22 fiscal.

"I have provided Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccine in this year 2021-22. I'm committed to providing further funds if required. The Budget outlay for health and well being is Rs 2.23 lakh crore in 2021-22 as against BE of Rs 94,452 crore and marks an increase of 137 per cent," she said while presenting 2021-22 Budget in the Lok Sabha.

Unveiling this year's budget, FM Nirmala announced the Atmanirbhar Health Yojana during Union Budget 2021. The new scheme will have a financial allocation of ₹64,180 crore over six years which will be in addition to the National Health Mission.

Finance Minister said that this year's healthcare budget focuses on strengthening three areas- preventing, curative, and well being.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman said:

• the PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will spend Rs 64,180 crore on primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare over a period of six years.
• This will be in addition to the National Health Mission.
• 17,000 rural and 11,000 urban health and wellness centres to be set up.
• Integrated public health labs to be set up in each district, 3,382 block public health units in 11 states.
• The Urban Swachh Bharat 2.0 mission to be launched at an outlay of ₹1.41 lakh crore over five years.
• The FY22 health and well-being spend has been pegged at 2.23 lakh crore
• Of 2,23 lakh crore, ₹35,000 crores has been earmarked for the COVID-19 vaccine