Daily Hot Topic
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.