Union Budget 2025: Key Takeaways for the Healthcare Sector

                 Union Budget 2025: Key Takeaways for the Healthcare Sector

1. Not enough Healthcare Allocation:

Total allocation: ₹99,859 crore, a 9.8% increase from the previous fiscal year.

Focus on strengthening healthcare operations and infrastructure.

2.Support for Pharmaceutical Industry:

₹2,445 crore allocated for the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to enhance domestic manufacturing and innovation.

3.Healthcare Education Expansion:

Introduction of 10,000 new medical college seats, with plans for an additional 75,000 seats over five years to meet rising healthcare demands.

4.Focus on Healthcare Innovation:

₹500 crore investment in new Centres of Excellence for AI to drive tech-driven healthcare solutions.

New credit card scheme for micro-enterprises offering up to ₹5 lakh to enhance financial flexibility.

5.Promoting Health Equity:

Funds allocated for broadband connectivity in rural health centers to bridge the urban-rural healthcare divide.

Healthcare identity cards for gig workers under the PM Jan Arogya Yojana.

6.Affordability of Healthcare:

Full exemption of customs duty on 36 life-saving drugs, making essential medications more accessible.

Establishment of daycare cancer centers in all district hospitals within three years.

7.Enhancing Medical Tourism:

Launch of the ‘Heal in India’ initiative, introducing on-arrival visas for international patients, positioning India as a global medical tourism destination.

8.Investment in Digital Health:

Continued support for initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, prioritizing digital health records and improving access to healthcare services.

9.Commitment to MSME Growth:

Increased investment limits for MSMEs, which contribute significantly to manufacturing and employment in the healthcare sector.

10.Focus on Educational Initiatives:

Expansion of the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) initiative to establish 50,000 ATLs in government schools, promoting STEM-driven innovation in healthcare.

The Union Budget 2025 demonstrates the Indian government's commitment to transforming the healthcare sector through increased funding, a focus on innovation and education, and measures aimed at improving accessibility, affordability, and equity in healthcare services. The outlined initiatives aim to position India as a global leader in healthcare innovation and a preferred destination for medical tourism.

Health budget 2025 in Graphics: