INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
all-inclusive welfare' as the first of top three goals of Amrit Kaal
In current times, growth and inclusivity have become synonymous with the resilience of healthcare infrastructure of a country
The country has conducted the world's largest vaccination drive inoculating 93% of the adult population with at least one dose
We've seen the sector rise to the infrastructural challenge and strengthen the resolve for future-ready systems
The budget further provisions a massive outlay of Rs 7.5 lakh crore towards capital expenditure across sectors which will augur well for our
Aatmanirbhar Bharat ambitions, although it remains to be seen how much of this expenditure will trickle down to healthcare and life sciences
Digital Mission umbrella, will integrate stakeholders across the ecosystem using an open platform
This initiative coupled with the Bharatnet project for digital connectivity in villages will make healthcare services accessible and
The proposed National Tele Mental Health Programme with the network of 23 tele-mental health centers of excellence will make counselling and
An increase of 35% in Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana to Rs 10,000 crore is a step towards making healthcare available to all by
been included under Sunrise sectors and will benefit from supportive policies, minimal regulations and facilitation to build domestic
In addition, R-D will be encouraged through collaboration among academia, industry and public institution, and contribution from government
across medical devices, drugs, and medicines
Additionally, customs duty for certain medical instruments, equipment and appliances have been reduced which will bring down import cost and
nudge the domestic industry to become cost effective
approach under PM GatiShakti will eliminate cost disabilities in logistics with multiplier impact across sectors, including healthcare and
This can also bring down the cost of drugs and medical supplies.In its third edition under the prevailing pandemic situation, healthcare and
life sciences sectors had high expectations from the budget
higher percentage of deduction under Section 35(2AB) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 for expenditure incurred for R-D purposes would have
offered a fillip to innovation efforts in the life sciences sector.With the key role of sectors in the battle against the pandemic, there
was an expectation from the Government to go extra mile for meeting some of these demands
Overall, the budget takes a progressive approach while balancing growth and inclusivity over long-term
Hopefully, the government maintains the momentum gained by the sectors as we march towards the vision of India@100.(Disclaimer: These are
the personal opinions of the author.)
