Budget 2024: Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme To Be Extended To ASHA, Anganwadi Workers

Healthcare services offered under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme will be extended to all ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the interim budget on Thursday.

In the budget before the impending general elections scheduled later this year, Sitharaman also announced that various schemes for maternal and child healthcare will be brought under one comprehensive programme for synergy in implementation.

"Upgradation of Anganwadi centres under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 will be expedited for nutrition delivery, early childhood care and development," she said. Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 schemes are the government's integrated nutrition support programme.

For the scheme, the government has estimated an expenditure of Rs 21,200 crore in FY25, 1.5% lower than the revised numbers for FY24.

Under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the government provides up to Rs 5 lakh per family every year to poor households for secondary and tertiary healthcare hospitalisation.