‘The healthcare industry would also have been overjoyed, if it was included in the list of infrastructure sector’

This year’s budget has been a deviation from the trend, where healthcare has been mentioned quite often, and in a positive framework. The Finance minister, although walking a tight rope on the fiscal front, has initiated a substantial amount of measures which directly or indirectly affect the healthcare of the citizen.

Right from macro issues of sanitation, malnutrition and safe drinking water, to the caring of differently abled and the ageing, he has tried to touch the long standing sore health issues of India. The mention of free drug service and free diagnostic service for the poor are sentiments in the right direction, although they carry the risk of execution, given the federal structure of the country.

For healthcare delivery industry, the setting up of 12 more medical colleges, and four AIIMS would be a welcome move as it would augment the very critical medical manpower in the country which is in very short supply. REIT’s entry in the real estate space may indirectly ease the woes of hospital industry, and e-visas would be a hassle-free tool for medical value travel. While saying this, there have not been mentions of any SOPs for the healthcare industry, or under National Health Assurance Mission. Government could also have promoted health insurance coverage for citizens by bringing it in the negative list for Service Tax. We still have to analyse if the healthcare spends suggested in this budget have achieved a desirable level of percentage of GDP. The healthcare industry would also have been overjoyed, if it was included in the list of infrastructure sector, as it would have then availed several pushes designed in this budget.

Overall, it looks as a positive step to categorise health as a major responsibility of the state, and Government’s willingness to attach the importance it deserves.

– Zahabiya Khorakiwala, MD, Wockhardt Hospitals