Question : Budget Allocation on Healthcare

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is planning to take urgent steps to beef up public health infrastructure in India to face present and future challenges;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the budget allocation for health at present accounts to around 1.4 percent of GDP which is way short of the required minimum of 2.5 percent, and only about 20 percent population is covered by some sort of insurance; and

(d) if so, corrective measures taken by the Government to increase the budget allocation to healthcare?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) & (b): Health & Hospitals, being a State subject, primary responsibility to strengthen public health infrastructure, lies with the respective State Government. The Central Government, however, provides technical and financial support under National Health Mission (NHM) for improving their health care system.

The Central Government has announced the PM Atma Nirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY) for developing capacities of primary, secondary and tertiary care health systems, to strengthen existing national institutions, to create new institutions and to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. This will be in addition to the National Health Mission (NHM).

(c) & (d): As per the Economic Survey 2020-21 brought out by the Ministry of Finance, the budget allocation for health as percentage of GDP for 2020-21 (BE) is 1.8 percent.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), launched on 23.09.2018, health cover is provided upto Rs. 5 lakh per family from secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to around 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore individuals).