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Topic : Budget 2024: India’s Healthcare Sector

GS-2 Mains  : Health

Budget 2024: India’s Healthcare Sector

• Health Ministry budget increased by 12.59% to Rs 90,658.63 crore.
• Department of Health and Family Welfare gets Rs 87,656.90 crore.
• Department of Health Research gets Rs 3,301.73 crore.
• Customs duty exemption on 3 cancer medications: Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib, Durvalumab.
• Changes in Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors.

Healthcare Sector in India

• Comprises hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, medical tourism, health insurance, medical equipment.
• Public sector: Limited secondary and tertiary care, focuses on primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in rural areas.
• Private sector: Majority of secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care in metros and tier-I, II cities.

Financing Public Healthcare

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare formulates public health policy.
• Provides administrative and financial support to states for public health facilities and infrastructure.
• Establishes and runs medical Institutes of National Importance (AIIMS).
• Ministry comprises Department of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Health Research.

Concerns with Low Public Expenditure on Healthcare

• Inadequate health infrastructure and slow improvement in key health indicators.
• Limited access to healthcare services, especially in rural areas.
• Neglected preventive and primary care, leading to higher treatment costs.
• Higher disease burden of preventable diseases.
• Increased out-of-pocket expenditure due to reliance on private healthcare.

Recent Government Steps

• National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) launched in 2020.
• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) launched in 2018.
• National Health Policy 2017.
• Transforming primary health centers into Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs).
• Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) for setting up new AIIMS and upgrading medical colleges.
• Encouraging research and development in healthcare.
• National Medical Commission (NMC) Act passed in 2019.
• Jan Aushadhi Scheme for affordable generic medicines.

Way Ahead

• COVID-19 pandemic highlighted need for increased public investment in healthcare.
• Effective primary healthcare can improve overall health outcomes.