New Delhi, July 15: Prioritising and scaling up investment, infrastructure, medical tourism, and tax reforms will be key to creating a new ecosystem that can support the nation’s ambitious healthcare goals, said experts on Monday, ahead of the Union Budget 2024-25. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the Union Budget 2024 on July 23. While the interim budget in February has provided a roadmap, the journey toward transforming the entire healthcare landscape requires a comprehensive and concerted effort.
Sugandh Ahluwalia, Chief Strategy Officer, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), New Delhi, said that a key expectation from the upcoming budget "is the reclassification of hospitals as infrastructure investments". "This reclassification can attract significant private sector investment, which is essential for building state-of-the-art healthcare facilities. In addition, extending interest rate subvention for medical equipment can alleviate financial burdens on hospitals, enabling them to upgrade their technology and improve service delivery," said Ahluwalia.
During the interim budget, the government had announced widening the coverage by including Anganwadi and ASHA workers. The experts urged the government to further widen the coverage by including the excluded self employed, seniors above 70 years old, and other weaker groups. "This initiative is expected to go a long way in dealing with the acute shortage of doctors in India, especially in underserv.
