Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Less than half the money allocated for the Centre’s flagship health scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana has been utilised in 2020-21, as health services across the country suffered due to pandemic and lockdown, government data shows.
As per the expenditure profile document of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Rs 6,400 crore was allocated for the scheme before being revised to only Rs 3,100 crore as hospitalisation rates drastically fell March onwards.
For the coming fiscal too, the government has estimated Rs 6,400 crore for the programme.
Launched in September 2018, PMJAY provides for free secondary and tertiary hospitalisation of up to Rs 5 lakh for nearly 10 crore families across the country and covers 1573 procedures including 23 specialties.