Ayushman Sahakar Scheme: Objectives, eligibility and more.

The features of the Ayushman Sahakar Scheme are as follows –

• The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) formulated this scheme. NCDC comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare.
• This scheme (Ayushman Sahakar scheme) helps increase the provision of the healthcare services cooperatives offer.
• It covers the following:
  • Establishment
  • Modernization
  • Expansion
  • Repairs and
  • Renovation of hospitals, healthcare infrastructure and education.
• Ayushman Sahakar Fund is available via National Cooperative Development Corporation, and any cooperative society is open to access the funds provided they perform healthcare-related activities.
• This government will provide loans to the tune of Rs. 10,000 crore to the cooperatives. Moreover, working money and margin capital will also be available.
• An interest subvention of 1% will be available to women majority cooperatives.

Below are some key and primary objectives of this Ayushman Sahakar Scheme.

• To help cooperative societies provide affordable and complete healthcare via healthcare facilities, hospitals and education facilities.
• Promote the facilities of AYUSH via cooperative societies.
• To help the various cooperatives meet some objectives of National Health Policy.
• To help cooperatives participate in the National Digital Health Mission.

NCDC is financing the scheme. It extends loans and has a fund which the cooperatives can access.

Activities Covered Under Ayushman Sahakar

1) Infrastructure:

For creation, modernization, expansion, repairs, renovation of hospital, healthcare and education infrastructure covering-

a) 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 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

1. b) Telemedicine and remote assisted medical procedures,
2. c) Logistics health, healthcare and education,
3. d) Information and Communication Technology related to digital health,
4. e) Health insurance accredited by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA).

 2) Margin money for raising working capital required for day-to-day operations in respect of those mentioned in the para1 above.

3) Working capital for day-to-day operations.

 Eligibility

• Any Cooperative Society registered under any State/ Multi State Cooperative Societies Act in the country, with suitable provision in the bye-laws to undertake services related to hospital/ healthcare/ health education, shall be eligible for the financial assistance subject to fulfilment of guidelines under the scheme.
• NCDC assistance shall be provided either through the State Governments/ UT Administrations or directly to the cooperatives which fulfil NCDC Direct Funding guidelines.
• Dovetailing with other schemes or programmes of Government of India/ State Government/ Other funding Agency is permitted.

Project Cost

As per actual requirement.

Loan Period

Period of loan will be for 8 years, including 1-2 years moratorium on repayment of principal, depending on the type of project and its ability to generate revenue.

Rate of Interest

1. As per NCDC circular for interest rate as amended from time to time.
2. 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

NCDC assistance is provided either through State Government or under Direct Funding.

In case of direct funding, the cooperative society may offer security for the loan in any one or combination of the following to the satisfaction of NCDC:

1. Mortgage of assets, including assets to be created under the project, to the extent of 1.5 times of NCDC loan;
2. Guarantee by State/ Central Government;
3. Pledge of FDRs of scheduled banks/ nationalized banks, to the extent of 1.2 times of NCDC loan;
4. Guarantee by Central PSUs/ Statutory bodies/ CSR Foundations of Central PSUs;
5. Guarantee from scheduled banks/ Nationalized Banks;
6. Hypothecation and assignment of Government bonds/ securities to the extent of 1.2 times of NCDC loan.

Subsidy

NCDC loan assistance is proposed to be dovetailed with subsidy/ grant/ VGF/ any other mechanism of Government of India or State Government or any other Funding Agency.

Funding Pattern

The projects would be supported with the following funding pattern:

Infrastructure Creation (Project Facilities)

Funding through State Govt.

       1) NCDC to State Govt.

• • • Loan* – 90%
    • Society’s Share – 10%
    • State Govt. to Society
    • Loan* – 50%
    • Share Capital** – 40% Society’s Share – 10%

        2) Direct Funding NCDC to Society

• • • Loan*- 70%
    • Society’s Share – 30%

1.  In case subsidy/ grant under any scheme of Government of India or State Government or any other Funding Agency are dovetailed, the loan amount may be reduced proportionately.
2.  In case share capital is not contributed by State Govt., the same (40%) shall also be passed on as loan to Society.