With healthcare sector emerging as a focus area for the Dr Manmohan Singh-led government during its last year in office, the budget for the next financial year has set apart a Plan outlay of Rs 15,580 crore to the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

The Department has got a marginal hike in allocation compared to Rs 13,875 crore in the previous budget. The revised allocation for the year of 2007-08 was Rs 13,000 crore and it was fully utilized, unlike many other departments.

The budget also had an allocation of Rs 1658 crore for medical education, training and research for the next year, against the revised provision of Rs 1467.81 crore for the current fiscal year.

As expenditure for the public health, the budget proposed Rs 4581 crore which will be a major hike compared to Rs 3520.99 crore of the previous budget. The different national disease control programmes will get Rs 1072 crore this year.

A good share of the allotment would also go to the ongoing pet programme of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) Scheme, aimed at setting up six new AIIMS-like institutions and up-gradation of 13 existing medical colleges. The project, launched in 2006, would get Rs 490 crore during the year of 2008-09. The up-gradation would be completed by 2009 whereas the new institutions would be in place by 2011. The Department is in the process of finalizing selecting consultants and developers for the new institutions.

The budget also earmarked Rs 100 crore for implementing 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in institutions of higher learning, as recommended by a committee headed by Director General of Health Services. Under the Urban Health Mission, Health Insurance Scheme has been introduced, for which a provision of Rs 42 crore has been made.