(NDTV)
The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced ₹ 35,000 crore for vaccines development as part of the ₹ 64,180 crore Aatmanirbhar Health Yojana spending plan for healthcare over the next six years. This funding boost for healthcare comes at a time when the country is facing a once-in-a-lifetime health crisis. The government will be focusing on three areas viz. preventive health, curative health and well-being, the finance minister said in her Budget speech, while announcing that two more vaccines were likely this year, apart from Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute’s Covishield.
Referring to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the finance minister said the country has the lowest mortality rate, which has been reflected in the economic recovery. Ms Sitharaman is presenting the ninth budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the Lok Sabha and first budget in covid times. Atmanirbhar Bharat schemes announced in 2020 were like five mini-budgets themselves, said the Finance Minister.
