Niti Aayog plans new National Health Authority

The NITI Aayog has proposed the formation of a National Health Authority to administer the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and will be chaired by the Health Minister with the Aayog as its administrative body, it is learnt. The proposal will need to be cleared by the Union Cabinet and if accepted, sources said, will mean that the Union Health Ministry will have little say in the NDA government’s flagship health scheme. The NHA, for all practical purposes, will report directly to the Prime Minister’s office and will stay at “arm’s length” from the Union Health Ministry. Envisioned as an autonomous body, the NHA, according to officials, could initially be formed by an executive order as with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) but will eventually need statutory backing. But with health and public health being state subjects, two or more state legislatures will need to pass resolutions before Parliament enacts a law for the constitution of the NHA. Senior officials at the Health Ministry, NITI Aayog and the National Health Agency refused to comment on the proposal.