Union Budget 2021 Expectations for Health Care: Coronavirus epidemic has changed the thinking of health experts.
Union Budget 2021-22 Expectations for Health Care: Preparations for Budget 2021 are going on loudly, which will be presented on 1 February. Whether the common man or different sectors, the expectations of all are on the budget. The health care sector also has high expectations from the budget. The coronavirus epidemic has changed the thinking of health experts. He has demanded that the entire health budget be restructured. At the same time, the medical device industry has demanded a boost to the domestic industry through Make in India by prohibiting cheap imports. There is also a demand to strengthen infrastructure in health care, from cheap and better treatment. Before this, know what was announced in the budget 2020.
Some big announcements of Budget 2020
- The finance minister had made a provision of Rs 69,000 crore for the health sector.
- Of which 6400 crores were also included for Ayushman India.
- PPP mode announced to set up hospitals with modern facilities in the country
- Aim to eliminate TB from the country by 2025
- Target to open Jan Aushadhi Kendra by 2024 in every district. There will be 2000 medicines and 3000 serials available in them.
An epidemic like Corona Varais can come anytime
Former President of the Indian Medical Association, Dr. KK Aggarwal, says that in view of the coronavirus epidemic this time, the expectations from the government on the health budget are very high. They say that an epidemic like corona virus can occur in the world or country at any time. In the past, many kinds of epidemics have disturbed the world. The impact of the epidemic is not limited to people only. Everyone has seen how the economies of different countries went to lower levels due to this epidemic.
He says that in view of such epidemic, the government needs to completely restructure its health budget. Apart from separate funds, it is necessary to arrange for hospitals, labs, medicines or other facilities to face such an epidemic. It is expected that in this budget, the government will take special care of this matter.
Apart from this, health experts are talking about taking measures to overcome the shortage of doctors in the country. He says that there should be measures to increase medical seats. Apart from improving the facilities of diagnostic, it is being said that the expansion of infra in the field of health is being done.
Make in India gets a boost
Forum co-ordinator Rajiv Nath of the Association of Medical Devices Industry says that the government’s policies regarding the medical device industry have been weak. The medical device industry in the country is suffering due to this. On the one hand there is talk of Make in India, but on the other hand due to the government policy on imports, the domestic industry is constantly suffering losses. They say that the medical equipment prepared by the domestic industry is not only cheap, but their quality is also better. Household appliances can compete with any foreign product. But due to the import cheaper, companies in China and Taiwan occupy the country’s medical device market.
Duty is just 0 to 7.5%
He says that the demand of the industry is that there is 0 to 7.5 percent import duty on medical equipment coming from abroad. 20 out of 149 required zero duty on equipment. It includes Viscometer, Refractometer, Photometer and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Instrument etc. 2.5 percent on some, 5 percent on some and 7.5 percent on some. Our demand is that 7.5 to 15 percent duty be levied on foreign equipment. If the prices of foreign products increase, then the domestic industry will get the boot. There is also a demand of the medical device industry to stop importing second-hand medical devices.
Patients get cheaper treatment
A person said that to enable patients to get the benefit of cheaper medicines, the government should consider the GST slab on medicines. If you taste it on some, then some should be brought in the lower slab.
Source: www.financialexpress.com