Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday lauded 2021-2022 Budget, saying the "visionary leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "prudence" of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman "for taking us closer to Health For All". In the Union Budget, Rs 71,268.77 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as against Rs 65,011.8 crore allocated in 2020-2021.

Vardhan happy with the allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines and commitment to providing further support will help end this pandemic and expedite economic recovery.

An allocation of Rs 2,663.00 crore has also been made to Department of Health Research in the 2021-22 Budget. The Ministry of AYUSH has been allocated Rs 2,970.30 for the next fiscal as against Rs 2,122.08 crore proposed for 2020-2021 fiscal. The finance minister also announced that a new centrally sponsored scheme, Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, will be launched with an outlay of about 64,180 crore over six years.

Vardhan termed PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Yojana a "gift of self-reliant healthy India scheme" and said the interventions under it include establishing critical care hospital blocks, integrated public health labs in all districts and strengthening HWCs.

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