To help cooperatives in India to play an important role in healthcare infrastructure creation, Rs, 10,000 crores, Ayushman Sahakar Scheme was launched. It is a central government scheme launched by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The scheme was launched by Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Parshottam Rupala on 19th October 2020
Launched by: National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
The scheme is aligned with National Health Policy, 2017. It is also in tandem with National Digital Heath Mission. The scheme is meant to bring transformation in rural areas. Ayushman Sahakar Scheme will also aim to help cooperatives in providing medical/ AYUSH education. Ayshman Sahakar Scheme has wholistic coverage, it encompasses: hospitals, healthcare, medical education, nursing education, paramedical education, health insurance and holistic health systems such as AYUSH.
Objectives of Ayushman Sahakar Scheme
- To assist the provision of affordable and holistic healthcare through hospitals/healthcare/education facilities by cooperative societies,
- To assist the promotion of AYUSH facilities by cooperative societies,
- To assist cooperative societies to meet the objectives of National Health Policy,
- To assist cooperative societies to participate in the National Digital Health Mission,
- To assist cooperative societies to provide comprehensive healthcare including education, services, insurance and activities related thereto
Activities Undertaken Under the Scheme
- Infrastructure: For creation, modernization, expansion, repairs, renovation of hospital, healthcare and education infrastructure covering-
- All types of infrastructure for:
- Hospitals and/ or Medical/ AYUSH/ Dental/ Nursing/ Pharmacy/ Paramedical/ Physiotherapy Colleges for running UG and /or PG programmes,
- Yoga Wellness Centre,
- Ayurveda, Allopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and other traditional medicine healthcare centres,
- Health care services for elderly,
- Palliative care services,
- Health care services for Persons with Disabilities,
- Mental healthcare services,
- Emergency Medical Services / Trauma Centre,
- Physiotherapy centre,
- Mobile Clinic Services,
- Health Club and Gym,
- AYUSH pharmaceutical manufacturing,
- Drug testing laboratory,
- Dental care centre,
- Ophthalmic care centre,
- Laboratory services,
- Diagnostics services,
- Blood Bank/transfusion services,
- Panchkarma/ Thokkanam/ Kshar sutra therapy centre,
- Regimental Therapy of Unani (Ilaj Bil Tadbeer) centre,
- Maternal health and Childcare services,
- Reproductive and Child Health services,
- Any other related centre or services as may be deemed fit by NCDC for assistance,
- Telemedicine and remote assisted medical procedures,
- Logistics health, healthcare and education,
- Information and Communication Technology related to digital health,
- Health insurance accredited by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA).
- Margin money for raising working capital required for
day-to-day operations with respect to those mentioned in the para1above.
- Working capital for day-to-day operations.
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| Ayushman Sahakar Scheme |
Eligibility for Ayushman Sahakar Scheme
Any Cooperative Society Cooperative Society registered under any State/ Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, which has a suitable provision in its bylaws to undertake healthcare-related activities shall be eligible for the financial assistance subject to fulfilment of guidelines under the scheme.
NCDC assistance will flow either through the State Governments/ UT Administrations or directly to the eligible cooperatives. Subsidy/ grant from other sources can be dovetailed.
Period of Loan under Ayushman Sahakar Scheme
8 years is the loan period, it also includes moratorium period of 1-2 years on repayment of principal, depending on the type of project and its ability to generate revenue.
Rate of Interest
- Interest rate as amended from time to time.
- As an incentive, NCDC will provide 1% less than applicable rate of interest on term loan for the project activities in case of borrower cooperative society where women members are in majority for the entire tenure of the loan only if timely repayments are made.
Security for the Loan
Assistance is provided either through State Government or under Direct Funding.
In case of direct funding, security for the loan in any one or combination of the following:
- Mortgage of assets, including assets to be created under the project, to the extent of 1.5 times of NCDC loan;
- Guarantee by State/ Central Government;
- Pledge of FDRs of scheduled banks/ nationalized banks, to the extent of 1.2 times of NCDC loan;
- Guarantee by Central PSUs/ Statutory bodies/ CSR Foundations of Central PSUs;
- Guarantee from scheduled banks/ Nationalized Banks;
- Hypothecation and assignment of Government bonds/ securities to the extent of 1.2 times of NCDC loan.
It is a statutory body created in 1963 by an act of Parliament under Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. This institution helps in undertaking the following tasks on the principle of cooperatives:
- planning and promoting programmes for the production,
- processing,
- marketing,
- storage,
- export and import of agricultural produce, foodstuffs, industrial goods, livestock, certain other commodities and
- services like hospital & healthcare and education etc
NCDC provides financial assistance to cooperatives at all the three levels (tiers):
- Primary,
- District and
- Apex / Multi-State
The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, in its Gazette Notification has notified hospital, healthcare and education as notified services under NCDC Act.
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has its head office in New Delhi and also has 18 regional offices.
With the launching of Ayushman Sahakar Scheme, the government has made efforts to go for a participatory approach in health care infrastructure development.
Rajat Jhingan
