Rs 52,800 cr allocated to health, family welfare

The government on Thursday allocated Rs 52,800 crore to health and family welfare in the Union Budget 2018-19, an 11.5 per cent rise over the Rs 47,353 crore allocated last fiscal.

According to the Budget outlay, the government made a 13 per cent increase in the funding to AYUSH ministry from Rs 1,429 crore to Rs 1,626 crore.

The Union Cabinet in December 2017 had approved the National AYUSH Mission, which aims to bridge gaps in health services by supporting the efforts of state and union territory governments for providing AYUSH health services and education in the country, particularly in far-flung areas.

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) also see a rise in allocations with the former getting Rs 2,100 crore for NRHM, a 5 per cent increase from Rs 2,000 crore allocated during 2017-18, while the latter received Rs 875 crore, a 16.35 per cent increase from Rs 752 crore in fiscal 2017-18.

Human resource for health and medical education has received Rs 4,225 crore in comparision to Rs 4,025 crore in the last budget, marking a 5 per cent increase.

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna have been allocated Rs 2,000 crore for 2018-19, a 100 per cent increase than Rs 1,000 crore allocated last fiscal.

--IANS

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