New Delhi: The 15^th Finance Commission decided to devote an entire chapter on health financing amid the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic. The 15^th Finance Commission said that for the first time in its report on Tuesday. The commission held a meeting with representatives of the World Bank on Tuesday and said that a high level committee along with the World Bank will come up with recommendations with the health sectors.

According to the official press note, government’s spending on health sector through centrally-sponsored schemes will also is studied, the commission said. 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. NK Singh, the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission reiterated the government’s intention to increase the budgetary outlay for the health ministry.

Dr Junaid Ahmed, World Bank’s country director for India 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.