As a healthcare service provider of the largest healthcare group in Eastern India, I would like to place forth the following recommendations:
- The Department of Health and Family Welfare's share in the central government's total expenditure for 2023-24 is approximately 2%, the government should try and increase the same to atleast 2.5% in the coming budget.
- Given the alarming situation around increasing drug resistance among the larger populations, demands immediate allocation of Investments in research and development, including newer facilities like ICMR Labs, research for pharmaceutical industry innovation for newer antibiotics needs to be of prime focus to survive this race against time.
- While the Department of Health Research played a crucial role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, the allocated budget of Rs 2,980 crore in 2023-24, constituting 0.01% of GDP, falls below previous recommendations. The suggested 0.1% of GDP for five years, reflecting 5% of the total health budget, would enhance India's preparedness for future pandemics.
- Lastly, to bring down the cost of cancer treatment in the country, I strongly recommend a crucial consideration to provide optimal care at affordable rates, the recent increase in customs duty for general and oncology equipment poses a significant challenge for private players. The customs duty for general equipment has risen from 14.57% to 22%, and for oncology equipment, it has increased from 30.48% to 36.64%. Given the capital-intensive nature of the business and the growing cancer incidence in India, I urge the government to review these import duties.
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