The Central Government has decided to set up fifteen Model Rural Health Research Centres in the States for better health care facilities in rural India. The Health Centres will take up research on local health issues concerning rural population. Presenting his Maiden Budget in Parliament, the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said that to move towards “Health for All”, two key initiatives like the Free Drug Service and Free Diagnosis Service would be taken up on priority.

The Finance Minister said that in order to achieve universal access to early quality diagnosis and treatment to TB patients, two National Institutes of Ageing will be set up at AIIMS, New Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai. A national level research and referral Institute for higher dental studies would be set up in one of the existing Dental institutions.

Shri Jaitley informed the House with great satisfaction that all the six new AIIMS at Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Rishikesh, Bhubaneswar and Raipur, which are part of Pradhan Mantrai Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, have become functional. A plan to set up four more AIIMS like institutions at Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidarbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in UP is under consideration. He announced a sum of ₹ 500 crores for this purpose. He said at present 58 Government Medical Colleges have been approved and proposed to add 12 more such colleges. In addition, dental facilities would also be provided in all the hospitals, he added.

Shri Jaitley said that for the first time, the Central Government will provide assistance to strengthen the States Drug Regulatory and Food Regulatory Systems by creating new drug testing laboratories and strengthening the 31 existing State laboratories.

Free drug and diagnosis services prioritized, with rural research centres and strengthened drug-testing laboratories to improve access. The Central Government prioritises Free Drug Service and Free Diagnosis Service, establishing fifteen Model Rural Health Research Centres for local rural health research; creating two National Institutes of Ageing and a national dental research and referral institute; operationalising six new AIIMS and considering four more AIIMS-like institutions with funding; expanding medical and dental education and providing central assistance to strengthen State drug and food regulatory systems by creating new drug-testing laboratories and reinforcing existing State laboratories.