NHM funds: ₹395 cr withheld over branding guidelines’ violation: Union health ministry

In a written reply to a question asked by MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing budget session, the Union health ministry said the Punjab government violated the branding guidelines.

The Union health ministry has not released around ₹395 crore funds to Punjab under the National Health Mission (NHM) in the financial year 2023-24 for making changes in the branding guidelines.

Punjab has rebranded health and wellness centres being made under the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme of the Union health and family welfare ministry as Aam Aadmi Clinics, thereby violating the provisions of the pact signed between the ministry and the state, minister of state for health Bharati Pravin Pawar had said in a written reply in the LS. (File)

In a written reply to a question asked by MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing budget session, the Union health ministry said the Punjab government violated the branding guidelines.

Punjab has rebranded health and wellness centres being made under the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme of the Union health and family welfare ministry as Aam Aadmi Clinics, thereby violating the provisions of the pact signed between the ministry and the state, minister of state for health Bharati Pravin Pawar had said in a written reply in the LS.

The Union health ministry said around ₹457.90 crore was the Centre’s allocation under the National Health Mission (NHM) for financial year 2023-24. Of this, around ₹62. 29 crores is learned to have already been released, but remaining amount ₹395.61 crore couldn’t be released apparently owing to the non-compliance of stipulated guidelines and non-adherence to the various clauses of MoU signed between Centre and the state for the NHM.

The minister further said they (the central ministry) had written various letters informing the state on this issue and a review meeting was also held with the Punjab health minister in New Delhi.

Only 350 centres converted to AACs, funds stopped for all: Punjab minister

Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh, when asked about the anomaly, said only 350 health and wellness centres were converted to AACs, but the Union government stopped all funds under the NHM. “They want to starve us by not releasing their share of funds. It was the infrastructure of Punjab government that was used to set up health and wellness centres,” said Dr Balbir.

After the Centre stopped the release of funds, the Punjab government, in December last year, in a course correction, had ordered all civil surgeons to find out places whereby AACs could be surrendered at health centres, and new ones could be started adjacent to them. However, nothing has come up so far.

“A proposal was also discussed at length at the government level about adding Ayushman Bharat as prefix to AACs. As the Centre and state share 60:40 money under Centrally-sponsored scheme (CSS), we don’t think Centre will have any problem with it,” a senior government functionary told Hindustan Times.