India’s Budget 2021 Gives Healthcare Sector Hope for Better Days

In the recent budget 2021 address, India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman gave an overview of the planned future advancements in our health sector. She confirmed the release and mass-production of two indigenous vaccines. India has been supervising the production and implementation of two COVID vaccines, both of which are aimed at safeguarding the country’s population against the deadly virus. However, recently, India has made arrangements to roll out the two vaccines to 100 or more other countries. This has provided a boost to India’s international claim to fame. Ms. Sitharaman lauded the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative and additionally, announced an investment of Rs.27 lakh crore for COVID support and control, which amounts to near about 13% of India’s total GDP.  

Nirmala Sitharaman had additionally announced a fund of Rs. 35,000 crores for COVID vaccine productions. India has been rapidly advancing through the COVID pandemic, slowly rising to the top in the arena of COVID vaccinations and control measures. During the Budget 2021 address, the Government announced that the health sector of India has been assigned a total budget outlay of Rs 2,23,846 crore, which is almost 137 percent higher, in comparison to last year’s Rs 94,452 crores. India has been prioritizing its needs of the hour, which essentially involves COVID protection and control.  

Announcing a new centrally sponsored scheme for India’s health sector in the Budget 2021 address, Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted a massive budget overlay of Rs. 64,180 crores spanning 6 years, under the newly launched PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana. The budget for healthcare aims to tackle the following issues as soon as possible- 

• Developing and increasing the capacities offered by various healthcare systems 

• Advancing and developing more healthcare institutes 
• Ensuring an increase in healthcare institutes that overlook the timely detection and cure of virulent or otherwise emerging diseases in the future 

Sitharaman assured the country that one of the main interventions would be to show support towards over 17,000 rural and near about 11,000 urban wellness care centers. She gave the country hope regarding two additional upcoming vaccine releases which will speed up the process of COVID recovery in the country and abroad. India’s doctors, nurses, and front-line workers have been toiling for months on end to ensure quality healthcare for the increasing number of patients affected by the deadly virus. The Budget 2021 comes as a breath of fresh air for the healthcare professionals who were waiting with bated breath for reform in the system.