New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS): Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched Rs 10,000 crore NCDC Ayushman Sahakar Fund on Monday for creation of healthcare infrastructure by cooperatives.

The National Cooperative Development Corporation fund would give a boost to provision of healthcare services.

Under the scheme, the NCDC will give loans totalling Rs 10,000 crore to cooperatives to set up healthcare facilities.

PIB tweeted "Agriculture Minister @nstomar launches Rs 10,000 crore NCDC Ayushman Sahakar Fund for creation of healthcare infrastructure by cooperatives. National Cooperative Development Corporation fund would give a boost to provision of healthcare services."

The NCDC will support all aspects of healthcare that come under the World Health Organization classification, including Indian systems of medicine which will include Ayush, homoeopathy, drug manufacturing, drug testing, wellness centres, Ayurveda massage centres and drug stores.

The NCDC will also support education in medical and dental colleges and those offering nursing and paramedical education.

The scheme enables financial support to the doctors to come together and form a cooperative and start a hospital or a centre with physiotherapy services.

As per the scheme, working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements will be available. Interest subvention of one per cent is available to women-majority cooperatives.

As per the guidelines, a cooperative has to be three years old for getting NCDC finance under this start-up scheme.

The NCDC has financially supported around 30 hospitals in Kerala and a total of 52 across the country with over 5,000 beds.