By Dr.K.Hari Prasad
President, Apollo Group-Hospitals
After many years, healthcare has received significant importance in the Union Budget and the Govt of India needs to be complemented for it. The finance minister announced initiatives from illness to wellness indicating a holistic approach towards healthcare.
Swatch Bharath, Clean drinking water, improved nutrition for women & children, Fit India movement and wellness centers are great initiatives promoting wellness and are welcome measures, because there is no country in the world which has the money to treat all the illness that occurs in the society.
There is severe shortage of hospital beds particularly outside the metro cities. This has been addressed by providing viability gap funding in Tier – 2 and Tier – 3 cities and towns where facilities do not exist to deliver services under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
To make Ayushman Bharat viable, bringing down of taxes on medical devices and encouraging manufacture of medical equipment and devices in India will be useful tools. However we need to wait to see the details to understand actual impact on the cost structure for providers to cater to the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
Severe shortage of medical manpower in the country specially doctors. Attaching medical colleges to district hospitals in a PPP model is a good move. Apollo Hospitals has already demonstrated the benefit of this model in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh. This is another pioneering move of Apollo Hospitals which has earned national recognition. There is also a shortage of specialists and super-specialists in the country. Diplomate of National Board enhancing DNB and FNB programs is a useful tool to bridge this gap. Bridge courses to prepare medical personnel to work abroad is a good program for personnel intending to work abroad, but may provide a stimulus for further shortage of healthcare medical manpower in the country.
Tuberculosis is rapidly becoming a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in the country. ‘TB harega, desh jeethega’ is an important program aimed at eradicating Tuberculosis in the country.
Technology in healthcare has also found a mention in the budget. Data Centers and use of artificial intelligence is the way the world is going and it is heartening to note that Govt of India had acknowledged the need to promote data centers and artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Health Cess on import of medical equipment is a damper. Even today high end medical equipment are not manufactured in India and need to be imported. The Government should at least consider exemption of this cess on medical equipment that is not manufactured in India.
Health is a State Subject and a number of initiatives in the Budget will yield good results in States which leverage the provisions. People in such states will have improved geographic and financial access to quality healthcare.
