Aizawl, Nov 7 (PTI) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released the first tranche of a USD 108 million loan to support the implementation of Mizoram's Universal Healthcare Scheme (MUHCS), with the state receiving Rs 205.49 crore, officials said on Saturday.
The ADB released USD 21.6 million to the Union Ministry of Finance on October 29 after Mizoram achieved two Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) under the programme. The Ministry subsequently transferred Rs 205.4858 crore to the state account on November 5, they said.
Of the amount received, Rs 20.54 crore, or 10 per cent, will be treated as a loan, while Rs 184.93 crore, or 90 per cent, will come to Mizoram as a grant.
The entire amount will be parked in the Healthcare Corpus Fund to strengthen the financial sustainability of MUHCS, the Finance Department said.
The state government is targeting achievement of at least three DLIs during the current financial year and plans to draw and utilise around Rs 130 crore under the programme, officials said.
The issue was also discussed during a tripartite review meeting held in Chandigarh earlier this month involving the state Finance Department, the Department of Economic Affairs and ADB officials.
Mizoram signed the USD 108 million ADB loan agreement on January 23 this year. The project became effective from April 1 following visits and consultations by the ADB team.
The project, originally proposed in 2022 during the Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by Zoramthanga to strengthen the corpus fund of the state's healthcare scheme, was subsequently revived by the present Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government under the title "Supporting Public Health Care System Strengthening to Achieve Universal Health Care for Mizoram".
The loan was approved by the ADB board on December 5 last year, following negotiations in October that year.
Under the externally aided project, the Centre will provide 90 per cent of the loan amount to Mizoram as a grant, while the state will repay the remaining 10 per cent to the Centre as a soft loan.
The MUHCS was launched in March 2025 and became operational the following month, providing cashless treatment coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh to eligible beneficiaries at government hospitals and empanelled private and church-run hospitals in and outside Mizoram.
Government employees, including provisional and muster-roll employees, are required to pay a monthly contribution ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 1,500 depending on their pay scales to avail unlimited health cover.
Pensioners and their spouses can avail up to Rs 24 lakh cover per financial year on surrendering their fixed medical allowance (FMA) of Rs 1,000 per month that serves as the baseline subscription fee.
Beneficiaries or golden card holders under the Centre's AB PM-JAY scheme need not pay enrollment fees under MUHCS.
The government has said strengthening the healthcare corpus through the ADB-supported project would help reduce its recurring expenditure on healthcare premiums and claims and ensure the long-term sustainability of the scheme.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)