India

Chairman Of Felix Hospital, Dr. DK Gupta Advocates Doubling Health Budget To Transform India’s Healthcare Landscape

In India, healthcare expenditure accounts for only 2.5 percent of total government expenditure, which is extremely low when compared to most economically developed countries around the world. Therefore, it must be increased to 5%. These statements were made by Dr. DK Gupta, Chairman of Felix Hospital. Regarding the upcoming Budget 2024-25, he stated that the Corona epidemic revealed a significant disparity in the quality of healthcare in villages and urban areas, and the government and private healthcare systems.

As a result, it is critical to take the necessary steps to address the challenges that the country’s government healthcare system going through. India has many achievements to its name in the healthcare sector. The government should implement new measures to improve universal health coverage and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

To create a strong health ecosystem, invest in infrastructure, human resources, service delivery mechanisms, and technology. The entire budget allocation should be spent, with the majority of it directed towards primary care. Healthcare services in India are inadequate when compared to developed countries. To improve it, both public and private investments must be increased. New healthcare institutions should get interest and tax exemptions on loans.

To increase the production of medical devices, the government should reduce the basic customs duty, which is currently high. If the right policy is implemented, the current high reliance on imports of medical devices, similar to consumer electronics, can be reduced. All devices should be subject to at least a GST tax.

Medical, skilled, and nursing education must be improved. Essential medicines should be made GST-free. Important health equipment such as CT, MRI, and Cathlab should be duty-free.

The hospital sector should be improved in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. PPP models should be used to provide affordable and accessible health care. Liberalisation of private insurance and medicines is necessary. NABH, NABL, and JCI accreditation should be promoted.

According to statistics, approximately 60% of the world’s vaccines are manufactured in India. UNICEF relies heavily on India for vaccines in the Global Health Programme. More than 220 crore Covid-19 vaccines have been distributed in the country.

India is also the world’s largest exporter of generic medicines, but its health-care achievements are limited. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are only 0.5 hospital beds per thousand people in India. There are only 1.25 lakh ICU beds for 143 crore people. The number of doctors and health workers is also very low by global standards. Therefore, the health budget must be increased.

Srushti Sharma

Recent Posts

India And Nigeria Strengthen Counter-Terrorism Cooperation In Second Strategic Dialogue

Doval and Ribadu held detailed talks on challenges linked to terrorism and radicalization, including those…

5 seconds ago

Ola Electric’s Share Hits All-Time Low Of Rs 74 Ahead Of Q2 Results

Analysts predict that the stock could drop closer to the Rs 70 mark. Ola Electric…

58 mins ago

US Election: Voting Begins With First Ballots Cast In New Hampshire

This election is one of the most divisive in US history. Harris and Trump have…

1 hour ago

Waqf Bill: Opposition MPs Meet LS Speaker, Lodge Protest Against JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal

Opposition members alleged that Pal calls JPC meetings without consulting them and restricts their opportunity…

1 hour ago

Delhi HC Rejects Khalid Saifi’s Plea To End Attempted Murder Case In 2020 Riots

The Delhi Police opposed Saifi’s bail, citing evidence from WhatsApp messages exchanged among the accused.…

2 hours ago

Maha Kumbh 2025: Uttar Pradesh Enhances Security With Face Recognition Cameras

To protect millions of devotees at Maha Kumbh, the UP govt is implementing advanced security…

3 hours ago