Story in Numbers: Uttarakhand sees highest allocation for health

Uttarakhand is the only poll-bound state, among the five that are going to the polls, that allocated more than 5 per cent of its Budget to health care even once in the last five years, shows data published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In fact, the state set aside more share of its Budget for health care than all the other four states all through the last five years.

In 2021-22, Uttarakhand allocated 5.12 per cent of its total Budget (Rs 3,438.84 crore) to health, Uttar Pradesh 3.18 per cent, Punjab 1.89 per cent, Manipur at 2.82 per cent, and Goa allocated 3.5 per cent of its finances to health. While Goa stood second in Budget allocation on health, it spent the biggest share of its Budget on health during the last three years.

While information on Budget allocations has been released for the last five years (2017-18 to 2021-22), data on amount spent by states is available only for three years (2017-18 to 2019-20). Uttarakhand's health Budget allocation also shot up in the five years — from Rs 1,692 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 3,438 crore in 2021-22, which is a 103 per cent jump.

In the last three years, the state hasn't spent more than 3 per cent of its total expenditure on health — 1.75 per cent in 2017-18, 2.04 per cent in 2018-19, and 1.89 per cent in 2019-20. But, the amount it spent on health rose by 29.7 per cent — from Rs 1,619 crore to Rs 2,100 crore in the same period. Uttarakhand has, on an average every year, allocated Rs 1,992 crore for health and spent 97.3 per cent of it.