Ensuring the health and well-being of all citizens is an integral part of nation-building. Health will be the most important determinant in achieving the vision of a New and Developed India during the next 25 years of the Amrit Kaal period. According to research by McKinsey, "focusing on known health improvements could deliver an incremental economic benefit of USD 2 to USD 4 for each USD 1 invested."

 

The Amrit Kaal Budget is a big step towards providing quality healthcare for all. Given the G20 presidency, the announcements made by FM Nirmala Sitharaman will give a strong impetus to the Indian healthcare ecosystem, which will benefit not just India but also the entire humanity.  It has been rightly said, “Pehla Sukh Nirogi kaaya, Duja Sukh Ghar me maaya.” 

 

The overall allocation for health has increased from ₹ 83, 000 crore to ₹ 86,175 crore. In the budget, there is a very strong focus on skilling, encouraging research and development by the pharmaceuticals industry and promotion of medical research both by the private and public sectors, especially by opening the doors of select labs of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for researchers from other institutions in a bid to encourage collaborative research and innovation. The successful collaboration between ICMR and Bharat Biotech for the development of Covaxin showed that the public and private sectors, by coming and working together, can do wonders for the country’s healthcare sector. 

 

The announcement of establishing 157 additional nursing colleges in co-location with the existing 157 medical colleges established since 2014 will go a long way in increasing the number of trained and quality workforce in the healthcare sector. This step will benefit lakhs of medical aspirants nationwide and improve the country's doctor-to-patient ratio. It will also contribute immensely towards India building a global workforce to serve humanity and significantly strengthening PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Heal in India’ and ‘Heal by India’ initiatives.

 

The announcement of a mission to eliminate Sickle Cell anaemia by 2047 shows the Modi Govt’s commitment to prioritising vulnerable populations' health needs. The mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia will entail awareness creation, universal screening of 7 crore people in the age group of 0-40 years in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments. This will help grow and develop country’s tribal brothers and sisters. In the coming days, this will enable the Govt to adopt a similar approach for other life-threatening diseases and eliminate them from the country by working with the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari.

 

The increase of 12.3 percent for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana highlights the Modi Government’s focus on further expanding the AB-PMJAY health coverage to the poor. We are committed to making AB-PMJAY a Jan-Andolan. Since PM Narendra Modi assumed the role of Pradhan Sevak of the country in 2014, there has been a strong focus on digitalization, of which digital health is part and parcel. In 2023-24, the Digital Health Mission's budget increased by 70.6%. Various digital health interventions, including eSanjeevani, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, Tele-MANAS, etc., enhance citizens' ease of living nationwide. 

 

India is known as the pharmacy of the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we supplied essential medicines and life-saving COVID-19 vaccines made in India to over 100 countries worldwide. PM Narendra Modi Ji rightly said, “The pandemic has once again shown that India's pharma industry is an asset not just for India but for the entire world. It has played a leading role in reducing the cost of medicines, especially for developing countries.” In the Amrit Kaal Budget, the announcement of providing investment and setting up centres of excellence to promote research and development in pharma will help the industry to become self-reliant and develop new pharmaceutical agents. To take the Indian pharma industry to new heights, the Amrit Kaal Budget has increased 11.5x for the Development of the Pharma Industry scheme, from 100 crores in 2022-23 to 1,250 crores in 2023-24.

 

Under PM Narendra Modi Ji’s visionary leadership, the Indian medical devices industry is on the path of Aatmanirbharta. The 2023-24 budget will further boost India’s efforts to develop and manufacture innovative products indigenously. India has strong potential to become a global hub for R&D for medical devices. In the budget, FM Nirmala Sitharaman also announced that dedicated multidisciplinary courses for medical devices will be supported in existing institutions to ensure the availability of skilled manpower for futuristic medical technologies, high-end manufacturing and research. The decision will assist in developing a robust medical devices manufacturing ecosystem in the country by further enhancing the industry-academia linkages. The Indian medical devices industry has the power to emerge as the global leader in manufacturing and innovation in the next 25 years. 

 

Overall, working with a holistic approach, the budget will make the Indian healthcare and pharma sector future-ready. We are addressing all the health and pharma sector issues with the ‘Total Approach.’ Its results are there for everyone to see. Modi Govt has transformed both sectors in the last 8 years. In healthcare, more work has been done in 8 years than in the preceding 70 years. Accessible and affordable quality healthcare has become a reality for citizens, and India’s pharma industry is touching new heights of success with Govt support and guidance. As PM Narendra Modi said, “The coming years will belong to those who have invested in healthcare.” The government is leaving no stone unturned to create a healthy and prosperous India for future generations. Amrit Kaal Budget will lay a very strong foundation for the same.