In an effort to strengthen the healthcare system at the grassroot levels, the finance ministry has released Rs 8,453.92 crore as a health sector grant to rural and urban local bodies in 19 states.

“These grants are meant to strengthen health systems and plug the critical gaps in the healthcare system at the primary level,” the ministry said in a release on Saturday.

Bengal will get a sum of Rs 828 crore that will have to be passed on to the local bodies in the state.

The grants have been released according to the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission. In its report for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, the Commission had recommended a total grant of Rs 4,27,911 crore to local governments.

The grants recommended by the Commission include health grants of Rs 70,051 crore. Of this, an amount of Rs 43,928 crore has been earmarked for rural local bodies and Rs 26,123 crore for urban local bodies.

The Commission also identified interventions that would directly strengthen the primary health infrastructure and facilities in both rural and urban areas and earmarked grants for each intervention.

These interventions include support for diagnostic infrastructure to the primary healthcare facilities in rural areas (Rs 16,377 crore), block-level public health units in rural areas (Rs 5,279 crore), construction of buildings at sub centres, primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) in rural areas (Rs 7,167 crore).