Health sector gets Rs 69K cr; eradicating TB by 2025 in focus

Dr TP Lahane

The central government has allotted about Rs 69,000 crore for the health sector, higher than last year's amount of Rs 62,659 crore. Furthermore, FM Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a cess on medical devices, and the funds collected from the tax would be used to support health infrastructure. Budget 2020 also emphasised on the treatment for tuberculosis through the 'TB Harega Desh Jeetega' campaign, which aims to eradicate the disease by 2025.

The budget has drawn mixed reviews from experts in the public and private health sector.

Dr Anant Bhan, researcher, Bioethics, Global Health and Policy, felt that the budget didn't focus enough on primary healthcare.

"There is more focus on insurance than on primary health reform. There is no clarity on what kind of funding will be allotted to the primary healthcare component of Ayushman Bharat. Insurance is important, but it does not cover a large section of patients that gets treated on an outpatient basis," Bhan said.

Ameera Shah, promoter and MD, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, said, "The budget did not provide much relief for the healthcare sector. The increase in overall outlay to R69,000 crore, up from R62,659 crore last year, is clearly inadequate considering the health challenges the country is facing currently."

Referring to the cess on medical devices, Shah added, "With respect to the scheme related to medical devices, unfortunately, we still do not have the indigenous capability to manufacture high-quality devices here in India. Thus, by imposing cess, it will make healthcare services more expensive."

Meanwhile, Shalabh Paliwal, chief financial officer, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, felt that Budget 2020 has focussed more on healthcare than the previous year.

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