Union Budget will bolster India’s Cancer Care and affordability of life-saving treatments

New Delhi : Union Budget is a step to bolster India’s healthcare system, particularly in cancer care and affordability of life-saving treatments. The budget is a crucial step towards ensuring financial and health security for millions of independent workers in India.

The Finance Minister’s proposal to establish daycare centers across India, either by upgrading civil hospitals or peripheral health centres to provide chemotherapy, is a significant step.

According to the latest cancer statistics, head and neck cancers (including oral and throat cancer), breast cancer, and gynaecological cancers account for nearly 70 per cent of the cancer burden in India.

For a majority of these cancer cases, first-line chemotherapy can be effectively administered at well-equipped daycare centers with proper training and support.
This approach will help manage a substantial portion of the country’s cancer load.

The budget also includes the exemption of basic customs duty on 36 life-saving drugs and concessional rates on six more is a crucial step in reducing treatment costs for patients battling cancer, rare diseases, and chronic illnesses.
Additionally, waiving customs duty on medicines provided through patient assistance programs is a progressive move, expanding access to essential drugs for those in financial distress.

However, it is vital to ensure transparency and efficiency in the implementation of these programs so that the support reaches those who need it most.

The Central Government has added almost 1.1 lakh undergraduate and post-graduate medical education seats in 10 years, an increase of 130%. Now in the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals towards the goal of adding 75,000 medical education seats in the next five years.
Medical tourism and healing in India will also be promoted along with the private sector, including easier visa norms.

*Dr. Naresh Purohit-MD, DNB, DIH, MHA, MRCP(UK), is an Epidemiologist, Advisor-National Communicable Disease Control Program of Govt. of India, Madhya Pradesh and several state organizations.).  Dr.  Purohit is also Principal Investigator for the Association of Studies For Kidney Care.

Dr. Purohit is  an Exec. Member, Federation . of Hospital Administrators and Advisor-National Cancer Control Program.