Rs 69,000 Crore Allocated for Healthcare Sector - Budget 2020

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2020 Today (01-02-2020). The FM announced an allocation of Rs 69,000 crore for the healthcare sector in the 2020-21 Union Budget. This marks an increase of Rs. 6,341 crore as compared to 2019.

Highlights:

• Of this allocation, around Rs. 6,400 crore would be for AB-PMJAY scheme and announced Centre's plan to expand Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) by setting up more hospitals in the tier-II and III cities under the public-private-partnership (PPP) route. 
• Proceeds from taxes on medical devices would be used for development of hospitals.The government will provide viability gap funding for the process. "Viability gap funding window to be set up to cover hospitals, with priority given to aspirational districts that don't have hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat.
• Under Ayushman Bharat, the government had also initiated a programme to set up 1,50,000 health and wellness centres (HWCs) by 2022.
• FM also said that the generic medicine retail outlets Jan Aushadhi stores would be expanded to every district. Apart from medicines, these stores would now also stock more surgicals.
• The FM also re-iterated the government's commitment to eliminating tuberculosis from India. Setting a target of 2025, Sitharaman said 'TB Harega - Desh Jeetega'. This is five years ahead of the Global Sustainable Development targets.
• FIT India movement launched to fight NCDs.