Budget 2022: Healthcare industry seeks priority status, increase in fund allocation to 3% of GDP

The government should look at according priority status to the healthcare segment while increasing the public expenditure on the sector to at least 3 per cent of the GDP in the upcoming Union Budget.

As per the leading healthcare providers in the country in the private sector, the government should consider continuation of tax incentives, upgradation of medical facilities in smaller towns and skilling of workforce in the Budget.

”Firstly, the outlay for healthcare infrastructure to be increased further…facilities in tier 2-3 towns need to be equipped with diagnosis centres, ventilators, ICUs, critical care facilities and oxygen plants,” stated Fortis Healthcare MD and CEO Ashutosh Raghuvanshi noted.

There is an urgent need to allocate a separate budget for a national campaign around preventive health, testing and screening as these are key to reducing the overall disease burden in India, he added.

Apollo Hospitals Group Executive Vice Chairperson Preetha Reddy stated that the priorities must include taking up public expenditure on health to at least 3 per cent of GDP, a thrust on encouraging investments that bridge gaps in infrastructure and resources.