Budget 2021: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Announces Rs 64,180 Crore 'Pradhan Mantri Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Scheme'

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday (1 February) presented the Union Budget 2021 in the Lok Sabha.

During her budget speech, the Finance Minister announced that the government will launch the Prime Minister Swasth Bharat scheme with an outlay of over Rs 64,000 crore to develop capacity in the country for primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.

"Taking a holistic approach, we focus on strengthening three areas -- preventive, curative and well-being... A new centrally sponsored scheme - PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will be launched with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crore over six years," Sitharaman said.

She further informed that this will be in addition to the National Health Mission.

The main intervention of the scheme are support for over 17,000 rural and 11,000 urban health and wellness centres, setting up integrated public health labs in all districts and 3,382 block public health units in 11 states, FM Sitharaman said.