PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, a self-reliant plan for uplifting health infrastructure was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the path-breaking Union Budget 2021 on 1st of February 2021. The budget, which allocated Rs 2, 23,846 crores for health and wellbeing introduced a new scheme sponsored by Central government, PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, with an outlay of around Rs 64,180 crores over six years to confront new and emerging diseases.
In the past course of time, the allocations to health & wellbeing were Rs 94,452 crore in 2020-21. In 2019-20, the allocations were Rs 86,259 crore. The budgetary allocations would turn out to be fruitful in the direction of boosting the health infrastructure in India so that treatment and detection of new diseases and various diseases coming to the fore and damaging the human lives and hamper nation’s growth as well.
The enhanced allocation, as well as the plan to observe healthcare holistically – entailing nutrition, clean water fit for drinking, pollution control, and sanitation certainly augur well for the nation. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the allocation of Rs.35, 000 Crores for Covid vaccination. It’s a great move by the Central government that has received acclaim by one and all.
Healthcare sector in India has received the go-by and got neglected over the years for several decades. Thus, in order to strengthen the healthcare sector and to lend support in eradicating the coronavirus disease within the geographical boundaries of India, the Central Government is making positive moves. The scheme has been initiated by the government with the focus mainly on three critical segments of the health sector. The three significant domains of the health sector are preventive, curative & wellness.
Features of Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana
The key features of Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana are-
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new healthcare scheme, i.e. PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana in the Union Budget 2021.
- In her announcement, she mentioned that the health sector budget has been on the rise by 137 per cent.
- This budget includes a provision of Rs 2.23 lakh crore concerning health services.
- Investigation centers will be set up in all districts.
- A provision of Rs 64, 180 crores for Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will be spent in six years.
- The scheme holds the establishment of critical care hospital blocks in 602 districts and 12 central institutions.
- Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will aid 17,000 rural as well as 11,000 urban health & wellness centres.
- Under this scheme, the centre will set up 15 health emergency operation centers along with two mobile hospitals.
- 3,383 block public health units will be established in 11 states.
- In addition to this, the centre will set up 9 Bio-Safety Level III Laboratories along with four Regional National Institutes for Virology, National Institution for One Health, and a Regional Research Platform for WHO South-East Asia Region.
- Under the initiative, the Integrated Health Information Portal will be expanded to all states and UTs to establish the connection between all public health labs.
- The PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will oversee strengthening of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), its five regional branches and 20 metropolitan health surveillance units.
Objectives of the Scheme
The significant objectives of Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana are mentioned below-
- To uplift and transform the capacity of primary healthcare systems located within the geographical boundaries of the nation.
- To establish a new institution for identifying and treating newly discovered diseases and finding the appropriate solutions to combat diseases coming up in the future course of time.
- To ensure better health facilities and enhanced medical support anywhere in India
- To strengthen the primary, secondary along with tertiary healthcare systems
- To add fuel to existing national institutions
- To commence numerous hospitals and healthcare centres so that every citizen of India can get access to better healthcare services all over India
- To usher India on the progressive path in the realm of health and wellness
Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana: Online Registration Process
While presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 on February 1, 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman instigated Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana to scale up healthcare infrastructure and grant better healthcare facilities to a major chunk of the population residing in India. In 6 years, Rs. 64,180 crores will be dispensed under this scheme.
Before applying to this scheme, all the eligible applicants must go through the instructions provided and need to follow the steps mentioned below-
Step 1- Firstly, you would have to visit the official website of Self-Reliant Healthy India Scheme, i.e., Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana.
Step 2- Now, the home page will emerge out in front of you on the screen.
Step 3- After reaching the home page, you must click on the option of Apply Now.
Step 4- Then, in the fourth step, the application form will open in front of you.
Step 5- After that, you need to carefully enter all the requisite information asked in the application form such as your address, name, mobile number etc.
Step 6- After this, you need to upload all the essential documents.
Step 7- Now, you would have to click on submit button.
Step 8- Follow the above-mentioned steps, and you will be able to apply under Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana.
Eligibility Criteria & Significant Documents
- Applicant should be a permanent resident of India
- Bank account details
- Aadhaar card
- Ration card
- Passport size photograph
- Mobile number
- Residence certificate
- Income certificate
Beneficiary Benefits under Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana
The beneficiary benefits under the health infrastructure development-based scheme are exhibited below-
- In order to bridge the gap and establish connections between public health labs, Integrated Health Information Portal will be introduced in the future course of time.
- The health budget has surpassed the figure of around 94 thousand crores and moved beyond 2.23 lakh crore.
- The National Centre for Disease Control would pass through the process of advancement.
- This budget has also brought the prevention and treatment methods of new diseases and upcoming diseases into the spotlight in order to make headway in the realm of healthcare.
- Another noteworthy benefit of this scheme is that the major focus will be on the three vital segments of the healthcare sector. The three crucial segments are- preventive, curative and wellness.
- The present health infrastructure will be upgraded under this scheme.
- The budget of the scheme as announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is ₹ 64,180 crore for the successive six years.
- The scheme will be handled and operated under the National Health Mission.
- The funding of Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana 2021 will be entirely looked after by the Central Government.
- Under this scheme, 17000 rural, as well as 11000 urban health and wellness centres, will be receiving support.
- Critical care hospitals will be inaugurated in 602 districts.
Conclusion
In the Union Budget 2021 speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made a special announcement regarding the launch of the ‘Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana.’ The Finance Minister further added that this budget holds possibilities and opportunities amid disaster and hardship. In addition to this, she has kept the health budget of Rs 2.23 lakh crore for the financial year 2021-22[1]. In the health budget, the rise has been noted down as 137%.
At Aatmnirbhar Sena, we are creating awareness about the newly introduced health infrastructure advancement-based initiative by Central Government, i.e. Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana. We assume that the proper execution of this scheme would lead to fruitful outcomes in the realm of healthcare, and there would be a major transformation in the forthcoming period for sure.
