National Health Mission: Central funds remain elusive as fiscal year end approaches

New Delhi: The state has not received the central allocation for the National Health Mission (NHM) even as just two months remain in the current financial year. It was supposed to be sanctioned in the 2022-23 fiscal year. The centre said that the reason for this is the state’s delay in renaming the family health centres as ‘Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre’.

Due to the efforts of the government, Kerala, though ahead in the country as far as health care is concerned, is facing a crisis due to lack of funds. NHM consists of 60 percent (Rs 826.02 cr) central and 40 percent (Rs 550.68 cr) state share. The finance ministry has sanctioned Rs 371.2 crore as cash guarantee out of the Rs 409.05 crore for functioning of the NHM centres. 

This amount was supposed to be allotted in four instalments of Rs 92.8 crore each but none were received. The health department officials said that the state share was made available without any hindrance. Minister Veena George requested that funds be released as soon as possible.

In 2018, the Ministry of Health came up with the suggestion that family health centres be renamed as ‘Ayushman Bharat Health Centres’. Kerala completed this implementation in August 2023. Amidst this, a new order was issued by the health ministry that the centres should now be named as ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir’. The health ministry said that Kerala was too late into changing the family health centres into ‘wellness centres’.