The 15th Finance Commission on Tuesday said that for the first time in its report, it will devote an entire chapter on health financing amid the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The commission held a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the World Bank and said that a high-level committee along with the World Bank will come up with recommendations for the health sector. The government's spending on health sector through centrally-sponsored schemes will also be studied, the commission said, according to an official release.
Tuesday's meeting between the Finance Commission and World Bank was also attended by representatives from the Niti Aayog and members of the commission's High level group (HLG) on the health sector.
World Bank's country director for India, Dr Junaid Ahmed stressed on the importance of engagement with government-sponsored schemes and suggested that the bank could play a role in designing and implementation of such programs while working closely with such institutions.
NK Singh, the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission reiterated the government's intention to increase the budgetary outlay for the health ministry.
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