Former health ministers of Maharashtra have expressed displeasure with the Budget 2023 over its allocations to the health sector. One of the former ministers said there was a need for more funds and added that the Union government has not learnt any lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic. They, however, praised the announcement to open more nursing colleges and the start of a drive to eliminate sickle cell anaemia. 

Ex-health minister Suresh Shetty said, “We expected a drastic increase in the health budget after the pandemic. However, that didn’t materialise. It is a huge disappointment for the people working in the health sector. One good thing about the Budget is that the Central government has taken up the Maharashtra government’s programme for the treatment and prevention of sickle cell anaemia. We have been working on this for the past 15 years.”