Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi has been approved by Union Cabinet

It will comprise of the proceeds from share of health in the Health and Education Cess

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN)
• It is a single non-lapsable reserve fund for a share of health from the proceeds of Health and Education Cess levied under Section 136-b of Finance Act, 2007
• It is aimed at enhanced access to universal and affordable healthcare through availability of earmarked resources

PMSSN Features enlisted

• A non-lapsable reserve fund for Health in the Public Account
• Proceeds of the share of health in the Health and Education Cess will be credited into PMSSN;
• Accruals into the PMSSN will be utilized for the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
• Administration and maintenance of the PMSSN is entrusted to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; and
• In any financial year, the expenditure on such schemes of the MoHFW would be initially incurred from the PMSSN and thereafter, from Gross Budgetary Support (GBS)
• The major benefit will be: enhanced access to universal & affordable health care through availability of earmarked resources, while ensuring that the amount does not lapse at the end of financial year
• It also seeks to achieve the progress towards Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the National Health Policy 2017
• In any financial year, the expenditure on schemes will be incurred from the fund initially and later from the Gross Budgetary Support

Associated flagship schemes of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

• Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
• Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs)
• National Health Mission
• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)
• Emergency & disaster preparedness and responses during health emergencies
• Any future programme/scheme that targets to achieve progress towards SDGs and the targets set out in the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017

Background of the program

• Health is vital for improved developmental outcomes. From an economic standpoint, better health improves productivity and reduces losses due to premature death, prolonged disability and early retirement
• Health and nutrition also directly impact scholastic achievements and have a bearing on productivity and income
• Health outcomes depend substantially on public spending on health
• One extra year of population life expectancy raises GDP per capita by 4%, Investment in health creates millions of jobs, largely for women, through a much-needed expansion of the health workforce
• In the Budget speech 2018, the Finance Minister while announcing Ayushman Bharat Scheme, also announced the replacement of existing 3% Education Cess by 4% Health and Education Cess

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