Coal India advances Technology-led Diversification Across Energy & Minerals (See 'Corp Brief') Digital India RISC-V Grand Challenge under C2S Programme awarded to 3 teams (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Arrangement of funds to enable corporate debtor to clear its liabilities, coupled with transfer of funds from cooperative bank loan account of applicant directly to bank, is not valid loan disbursement under IBC: NCLT (See 'Legal Desk') Vaishnaw highlights ISM 2.0, indigenous design, manufacturing, talent and India's emergence (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - SEBI, acting as statutory market regulator, is duty-bound to issue a reasoned, speaking order when a decision carries serious civil consequences for acquirer, target company & investors: SAT (See 'Legal Desk') An unsuccessful 'success fee' litigation (See CORP EINSICHT) Centre commemorates World Patient Safety Day 2026 at NIHFW (See 'Corp Brief') BIMSTEC Energy Centre organises 5-Day Capacity Building Programme (See 'Corp Brief') Scindia inaugurates Renovated Guna Head Post Office in MP (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - Where material on record discloses need for deeper scrutiny, re-appreciation, review or reconsideration of evidence, leave ought to be granted & the appeal should thereafter be decided on merits: HC (See 'Legal Desk') CCI nod for acquisition of equity of Great White Global by ISAF III Onshore Fund (See 'Corp Brief') From Ink and Ledger to Cloud and Cipher: The Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 2026 - A Critical Appraisal of India's Digital Evidentiary Revolution (See CORP EINSICHT) A&C Act - Question whether particular claim is covered by, or falls outside excepted matters clause of works contract is matter squarely within competence of Arbitral Tribunal u/s 16 of Arbitration and Conciliation Act: SC (See 'Legal Desk') CCI approves acquisition of addl share in Azure Power Global by OMERS Infra (See 'Corp Brief') Beneficiaries express confidence in government policies for e-mobility (See 'Corp Brief') Competition Act - Regulatory decisions taken in exercise of statutory powers not subject to review by CCI; authority concerned is not amenable to scrutiny u/s 4 of Competition Act: CCI (See 'Legal Desk') Semicon 2.0 mission to focus semiconductor design & fabrication; to create 1 lakh jobs (See 'Corp Brief') NLMC to host investor meets ahead of RINL land e-auction (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - Penalty order under SEBI (PFUTP) Regulations unsustainable where foundational findings regarding volume of manually deleted orders & manipulative intent are perverse & contrary to the record: SAT (See 'Legal Desk') Govt reviews Use of Steel from Ship Recycling to Boost Steel Manufacturing (See 'Corp Brief') Inaugural PDUNASS–GNLU Executive Program on Labour Law concludes at Gandhinagar (See 'Corp Brief') Capital Market - Release of escrow amount maintained for buyback does not bar separate inquiry into alleged fraud under PFUTP Regulations: SC (See 'Legal Desk')

India, ADB sign USD 300 mn loan to improve primary healthcare in India

Published: Nov 24, 2021

By TIOLCorplaws News Service

NEW DELHI, NOV 24, 2021: THE Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday signed a USD 300 million loan to strengthen and improve access to comprehensive primary health care in urban areas of 13 states that will benefit over 256 million urban dwellers including 51 million from slum areas.

Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, signed for the Government of India the agreement for Strengthening Comprehensive Primary Health Care and pandemic preparedness in Urban Areas Program while Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.

After signing the loan agreement, Mr Mishra said that the programme supports the Government of India's key health initiatives - Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) and Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY) - which has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) - by expanding availability and access to quality primary health care services particularly for vulnerable populations in urban areas.

Ayushman Bharat programme, launched in 2018, aims to improve access to comprehensive primary health care as a key strategy to achieve universal health coverage in India. With the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that put additional pressure on the country's health system, the government launched PM-ASBY later renamed as PM-ABHIM in October 2021 to adopt a long-term approach to system strengthening to prepare for future pandemics and other emergencies.

"Ensuring equitable access to non-COVID-19 primary health care is critical amid challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to India's health system," said Konishi. "The programme complements the government's efforts to bridge the health care gaps by strengthening institutional capacity, operation, and management of urban health and wellness centers at the central, state, and municipal levels."

The programme will be implemented in urban areas across 13 states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and West Bengal. Beside the pandemic response, interventions through the program promote increased utilization of urban HWCs with provision of comprehensive primary health care packages including non-communicable diseases and community outreach services such as awareness raising activities on health care options, particularly for women. Delivery and health information systems for primary health care will be upgraded through digital tools, quality assurance mechanisms, and engagement and partnership with the private sector.

The programme is supported by a USD 2 million technical assistance grant from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to provide support for programme implementation and coordination, capacity building, innovation, knowledge sharing and application of scalable best practices across the healthcare system.

TIOL CORP SEARCH

TIOL GROUP WEBSITES