Special focus on training, research

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Amrit Sadhana [1]

Finance minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday proposed a hike of mere 7.5 per cent in India’s health budget. While, the budget estimate for 2012-2013 was `30,702 crore, for the year 2013-2014 it is `33,278 crore. On the other hand, last year the health budget saw an increase of 15 per cent over 2011-2012.
With special focus on medical education, training and research, the finance minister proposed to allocate `37,330 crore to the ministry of health and family welfare. “Of this, the new National Health Mission combines the rural mission and the proposed urban mission will get `21,239 crore, an increase of 24.3 per cent over the Revised Estimates (RE),” minister of finance P. Chidambaram said while presenting the Budget 2013-2014.
Indicating health for all as government’s key priority, the finance minister proposed to provide `4,727 crore for medical education, training and research.
Other than this, `150 crore was proposed to be allocated for the health care of elderly
While the national programme is being implemented in 100 selected districts of 21 states, eight geriatric centres are being funded for the development of dedicated geriatric departments.
The minister said the government would mainstream the department of Ayush — Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Sidddha and Homoeopathy — through the national health mission. Keeping this in view, he proposed to allocate `1,069 crore (10 billion) to the department of Ayush.
The minister said six All India Institute of Medical Sciences-like institutions had admitted their first batch of students in the academic session that commenced September 2012. The hospitals attached to the colleges will be functional in 2013-14.
“I propose to provide `1,650 crore (`16 billion) for these institutions,” Mr Chidambaram said.