Healthcare Schemes: All that you need to know

Here is a low down on some of the Government Health Schemes that you should know about

Health of the citizens is not only a global social goal and a fundamental human right, but is also pertinent for a better quality of life and growth of the nation. Health directly affects a country’s economic growth and development. Therefore, it should be a priority of the government to bring healthcare facilities to the lowest rung of society. There are several plans and healthcare schemes that can benefit the people of this country.

However, health being a State subject, the Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments in delivery of health services through various schemes of primary, secondary and tertiary care. Here’s a glimpse of such Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are:

Central Sector Schemes

1. Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana: The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) was announced in 2003 with the objectives of correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/ reliable tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country.
2. National AIDS and STD Control Programme: Globally acclaimed as a success story, the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), launched in 1992, is being implemented as a comprehensive program for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in India. Over time, the focus has shifted from raising awareness to behavior change, from a national response to a more decentralized response and to the increasing involvement of NGOs.
3. Family Welfare Program: India launched the National Family Welfare Programme in 1951 with the objective of “reducing the birth rate to the extent necessary to stabilize the population at a level consistent with the requirement of the National economy. The Family Welfare Programme in India is recognized as a priority area and is being implemented as a 100%. Centrally sponsored program.
4. Establishment and strengthening of NCDC Branches and Health Initiatives, Inter-Sectoral co-ordination for preparation and control of Zoonotic Diseases and other neglected tropical diseases, Surveillance of Viral Hepatitis, Anti Microbial Resistance
5. National Pharmacovigilance Programme: The nation-wide program, sponsored and coordinated by the country’s central drug regulatory agency – Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) – to establish and manage a database of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) for making informed regulatory decisions regarding marketing authorization of drugs in India for ensuring the safety of drugs.
6. Health Sector Disaster Preparedness and Response and Human Resources Development for Emergency Medical Services
7. National Organ Transplant Programme: National Organ Transplant Programme with a budget of Rs. 149.5 Crore for 12th Five year Plan aims to improve access to the life-transforming transplantation for needy citizens of our country by promoting deceased organ donation. 

Centrally Sponsored Schemes:

1. National Health Mission (NHM)
2. National Rural Health Mission (NRHM): NRHM seeks to provide equitable, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially the vulnerable groups. The thrust of the mission is on establishing a fully functional, community-owned, decentralized health delivery system with inter-sectoral convergence at all levels, to ensure simultaneous action on a wide range of determinants of health such as water, sanitation, education, nutrition, social and gender equality. 
3. RCH Flexible Pool including Routine Immunization Programme, Pulse Polio Immunization Programme, National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme, etc.
4. Flexible Pool for Communicable Diseases
5. Flexible Pool for Non-Communicable Diseases, Injury, and Trauma
6. Pilot Schemes(Sports medicine, Deafness, Leptospirosis Control, Control of Human Rabies, Medical Rehabilitation, Oral Health, Fluorosis) 
7. National Urban Health Mission: NUHM envisages to meet the health care needs of the urban population with the focus on urban poor, by making available to them essential primary health care services and reducing their out of pocket expenses for treatment. This will be achieved by strengthening the existing health care service delivery system, targeting the people living in slums and converging with various schemes relating to wider determinants of health Tertiary care Programmes
8. Capacity Building for Trauma Centres
9. National Programme for prevention and control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio-vascular Diseases and Stroke
10. National Programme for Health Care for the Elderly
11. National Programme for Control of Blindness
12. Telemedicine
13. Tobacco Control Programme and Drug De-addiction Programme
14. Human Resources for Health and Medical Education
15. Strengthening Government Medical Colleges(UG seats) and Central Government Health Institutions
16. Establishing New Medical Colleges (upgrading District Hospitals)
17. Setting up of State Institutions of Para-medical Sciences in States and Setting up of College of Para-medical Education.
18. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

It has been clearly recognized that health insurance is one way of providing protection to poor households against the risk of health spending leading to poverty. The poor are unable or unwilling to take up health insurance because of its cost, or lack of perceived benefits. Organizing and administering health insurance, especially in rural areas, is also difficult. Recognizing the need for providing social security to these workers, the Central Government has introduced the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).