The Union government has released Rs 8,453.92 crore as health sector grant for rural and urban local bodies of 19 states in an attempt to improve the healthcare system at the grassroot levels.

The Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry released these grants as per recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, a finance ministry statement said. These grants are meant to strengthen health systems and plug the critical gaps in the healthcare system at the primary level, it said. 

Health grants to the remaining nine states will be released after their proposals are received from the respective states through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.  

In its report for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, the 5th Finance Commission had recommended a total grant of Rs 4,27,911 crore to local governments. The grants recommended by the commission include health grants of Rs 70,051 crore. Of this, Rs 43,928 crore are meant for rural local bodies and Rs 26,123 crore for urban local bodies.

The commission has also identified interventions that will directly lead to strengthening the primary health infrastructure and facilities in both rural and urban areas and has earmarked grants for each intervention.

These interventions include support for diagnostic infrastructure to the primary healthcare facilities in rural areas (Rs 16,377 crore), block-level public health units in rural areas (Rs 5,279 crore), construction of buildings at sub centres, primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) in rural areas (Rs 7,167 crore).

The statement said rural and urban local bodies can play a key role in the delivery of primary health care services especially at the ‘cutting edge’ level and help in achieving the objective of universal health care.  Strengthening the local governments in terms of resources, health infrastructure and capacity building can enable them to play a catalytic role in epidemics and pandemics too. 

Involving Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local government as supervising agencies in these primary health care institutions will strengthen the overall primary health care system and involvement of local governments will also make the health system accountable to the people, it added.