Budget 2022: Govt to launch tele-mental health programme amid COVID-19 woes

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Budget 2022 in Parliament on Tuesday, announced an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem that will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities.

With the Covid-19 affecting the mental health of people, who have been adapting to physical, psychological and economical changes in the past two years of the pandemic, Sitharaman, in her initial part of the Budget speech, added, “We are in the midst of the Omicron wave, the speed of our vaccination campaign has helped greatly. I am confident that ‘Sabka Prayaas’, we’ll continue with strong growth.”

Sitharaman said, “The pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages. To better the access to quality mental health counselling and care services, a national Tele-mental health programme will be launched.”

The programme will include 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) being the nodal centre and technical support being provided by the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB), she added.

“It will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identities, consent framework and universal access to health facilities,” Sitharaman said.

Sitharaman, while presenting the union Budget for the fourth straight time, said, “Empathy for those who bore the impact of the pandemic. We are confident of withstanding challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic and strive to provide a necessary ecosystem for the middle class. This Budget hopes to lay the foundation for Amrit Kal from India at 75 to India at 100.”

“Three schemes — Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, Sakasham Anganwadi and Poshan Maah 2.0 — were launched recently to provide integrated benefits to women and children. Saksham Anganwadis are a new generation anganwadis that have better infrastructure and audio-visual aid powered by clean energy and providing improved environment for early childhood development. Two lakh anganwadis will be upgraded under the scheme," she further added.

In Budget 2021, FM Sitharaman had announced a 137 per cent increase in health allocation to Rs 2,23,846 crore from the previous year’s budget estimate of Rs 94,452 crore and a 118 per cent increase from the previous year’s revised budget of Rs 1,02,873 crore.

Even the Economic Survey 2022 mentioned that although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost all social services the health sector is among the worst hit. Expenditure on the health sector has been increased nearly 73 per cent from Rs 2.73 lakh crore in 2019-20 (pre-COVID era) to Rs 4.72 lakh crore in 2021-22.

The survey also revealed that COVID-19 vaccination should be treated as a macroeconomic indicator since it is critical for opening up the economy. So far, India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 166.68 crore.