Budget Will Prove To Be Milestone In Ensuring Best Health Facilities: Dr D K Gupta, Chairman of Felix Hospitals, Noida

Taking notes from the Union Budget 2023-23, the chairman of Felix Hospitals, Noida, Dr D K Gupta said that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has given the health sector particular attention. A national ecosystem for digital health will also be built, and it will use an open platform, he said.

Mission to end sickle cell Anemia

According to Dr DK Gupta of Felix Hospital, 157 new nursing colleges would be constructed concurrently with the 157 medical colleges that were already founded in 2014. By 2047, a mission will be established to end sickle cell anaemia. In the impacted tribal communities, 7 crore persons up to 40 years old would be screened.

The central government is working extremely hard to eradicate this illness (anaemia). There will be new initiatives for pharmaceutical research being developed. Research funding will be promoted, he said.

Public and commercial medical institutions will have access to facilities in a few of the ICMR’s laboratories for research, he added. Also, he said that in the Union Budget for 2022–2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received Rs 86,200 crore. Comparing this to Rs 73,932 crore in FY 2020–21, there was a growth of around 16.5 per cent.

While highlighting the benefits of the Union Budget, Dr D K Gupta said that several unique health identities, the digital health provider, facility registries, and open access to medical facilities are now available due to this budget.

“The country’s mental health will be strengthened thanks to this funding, which also boosts research and give the general people will access to the best medical facilities,” the chairman said.

“We required this funding on a national scale,” he added in order to combat the pandemic, improve health services, expand new technologies, and prioritize research.

Dr D K Gupta also emphasized the need for skilled doctors. He said, “Healthcare isn’t mentioned all that much in the budget, if at all. This number is less than one, which may surprise you.” Compared with WHO’s criteria, the rate of doctors in India is substantially lower, he said.

Quoting the facts, the chairman said, “There is a severe lack of doctors in the nation. Only 1,40,000 allopathic physicians practised in the nation in 2018. The same is true for nurses and other medical specialists.” However, recently, various actions were done to increase the number of medical student seats. Hospitals can be found in both the public and private sectors in major cities. In medium-sized and small cities, it is challenging.

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“Investment is necessary”

Dr D K has emphasized the necessity to persuade the private sector to fund hospitals. “Investment is necessary for the total domestic manufacture of medical supplies and raw materials,” he said.

Speaking on the constant changes in the Health industry, the chairman said that new items are always being developed making it crucial for those working in this industry to be skilled.

“Businesses should spend more money on healthcare training,” the doctor said.
Systems for providing healthcare should be networked as well. Any data from hospitals, both public and private, as well as diagnostic facilities, can be found in a data centre in real-time, he added.

Ahead of the upgradation, this will keep track of any modifications to the disease’s pattern. A step in this direction is the National Digital Health Mission’s initiative. In the budget, plans are anticipated to be made to reinforce it, further the chairman said. Moreover, he said that in India, a sizable portion of the population lacks health insurance. However, the Ayushman scheme is altering the situation.

The underprivileged groups in society are receiving their rewards. The provision of clean water to individuals is crucial for their health. There must be cleanliness where people reside.