Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget 2023-24, increased the allocation for Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to Rs 7,200 crore, while that for Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) to Rs 646 crore have been allotted.

Sitharaman also announced that the coalition government will launch a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia in India by 2047.

“This will require awareness-raising, universal screening of 7 crore people in the 0-40 age group in affected tribal areas, and counselling through a collaborative effort by central ministries and state governments,” Sitharaman told parliament.

The allocation to Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest government-funded health protection scheme, has increased by 12% from Rs 6,412 crore in FY23.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received an allocation of Rs 88,956 crore compared to Rs 86,606 crore in FY23. Follow our live blog for updates on Budget 2023

Here are some of the significant announcements made by the finance minister in his Budget 2023 speech:

Facilities at the selected ICMR Laboratory will be available for research by public and private medical school faculty and private sector R&D teams to encourage collaborative research and innovation.

A new programme to promote pharmaceutical research and innovation will be launched through the Centre of Excellence. We will also encourage the industry to invest in research and development in specific priority areas.

Existing institutions will support a dedicated medical device multidisciplinary curriculum to ensure a skilled workforce for future medical technologies, high-end manufacturing and research.

The 157 new nursing schools will be collocated with the 157 existing medical school sites established since 2014.