Rs 6,400 cr for Ayushman Bharat Yojna, hospital in 100 more districts: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that Rs 69,000 crore has been provided to the healthcare sector in the Union Budget in 2020-21, out of which Rs 6,400 crore will be sanctioned for Ayushman Bharat Yojna.

"I propose Rs 69,000 crore to the healthcare sector, out of which Rs 6,400 crore will be for Ayushman Bharat Yojna," said Sitharaman while presenting the budget.

Underlining that districts have been given priority to improve health services, she said: "Hospitals will be built in 100 districts of the country under Ayushman Bharat scheme. The government will open hospitals in second and third-tier cities under the public-private partnership (PPP) model."

Ayushman Bharat scheme provides health assurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family and is targeted to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families.

It is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of providing maximum benefit to the poor and marginalised sections of society.