Budget 2025: Experts urge govt to focus on tech-driven healthcare sector, insurance expansion

As India gears up for Budget 2025 the healthcare sector will be keeping a close eye on the Finance Ministers speechA day before the budget on Friday the Economic Survey was tabled in the Parliament It mentioned the initiatives that saw technology integration in healthcare delivery for timely diagnoses and recommendations of personalised treatments to telehealth technologies that connect patients and health professionals in a virtual space to improve efficiency and effectivenessHowever it has also highlight a challenge The adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the Indian healthcare sector faces several challenges including lack of specialised talent data complexities and difficulties in scaling up and requires attention going forwardFurther the Economic Survey has laid emphasis on prioritising mental health and fostering gender inclusivity not only for the overall wellbeing but also for enhancing worker productivitymiddaycom spoke to healthcare experts on their expectations from Budget 2025 Heres what they have to sayCancer researchDr Sunita Dube a renowned radiologist and the founder of Medscape India said funds must be allocated for research on cancer prevention diagnosis and treatment reducing the cost of medicine and taxation She says The current situation of cancer in the country is a cause of national concern If you donrsquot consider reducing the cost of the cancer medicine it will harm the countrys productivityOn similar lines Dr Gaurav Jaswal the director and consultant radiation oncologist at TGH Onco Life Cancer Center in Talegaon says that it is necessary to subsidise healthcare technology so that essential products can be increased and there is improvement in public health In this upcoming budget we anticipate increased government investment in cancer care infrastructure to ensure the timely management of patients This will further reduce the burden on the healthcare system and save many lives We also look forward to improving funding to expand specialised oncology services aid early detection programmes and subsidise advanced treatments making them more accessible to patients based in even rural areas With cancer rates rising it is necessary to take and promote initiatives that support both the treatment and prevention of cancer Such efforts will not only strengthen the nations fight against cancer but also provide the required resources to offer cuttingedge care ultimately improving patient outcomes and survival rates he saidHealthcare for allAccording to Dr Dube the insurance scheme to cover outofpocket medical expenses including nonhospital admission treatments and health checkups should be enhanced ldquoHealth should be every citizens right and the scheme has to be implemented equallyrdquo she says adding that Budget 2025 must have provision to allocate funds for improving rural healthcare infrastructure including the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana PMGSYDr Jaswal also called for subsiding healthcare as it will help in improving public health control infectious diseases and can make healthcare spending propoorDr Rajeev Boudhankar the medical director of Holy Family Hospital in Bandra Mumbai believes that budgetary allocation for both Urban and Rural Health Mission should be increased with focus on primary healthcare and preventive programme ldquoPreventive health checkups and health education is one such area that has been neglected in Indiardquo he saysSubsidise healthcare technologyDr Dube says more investment is needed in digital health infrastructure such as telemedicine and health data analytics as the current online support does not have a wide reachDr Anil Krishna the Chairman and Managing Director of Medicover Hospitals India also wants Budget 2025 to lay emphasis on integrating advanced technologies such as AIdriven diagnostics for early detection and management of chronic diseasesFor Gautam Khanna the Chief Executive Officer CEOI of PD Hinduja Hospital amp Medical Research Centre in Mumbai digital health transformation should receive significant attention with expected investments in AIdriven diagnostics telemedicine infrastructure and electronic health recordsldquoThese technological interventions are crucial for bridging the urbanrural healthcare divide and optimising our limited healthcare resourcesrdquo he saysTerming data the ldquoblackgoldrdquo of today Dr Boudhankar explains that there is a lot of data across the healthcare sector including public hospitals private hospitals pharma industry device manufacturing industry health insurance industry diagnostic lab industry ambulance industry and blood banks across the country which needs to be integrated through digital health solutions ldquoBetter data management will facilitate better health policies and resource distribution leading to optimal budget allocation and improved healthcare outcomesrdquo he saysInsuranceKhanna believes that apart from technologydriven healthcare the government must also focus on creating sustainable healthcare solutionsldquoFor meaningful impact we expect comprehensive reforms in health insurance accessibility with the Ayushman Bharat scheme expanding beyond its current 342 crore beneficiaries through innovative financing models and higher amounts for complex procedures in superspeciality hospitalsrdquo he saysHe suggests that tax incentives for private insurance adoption particularly targeting the middle class coupled with streamlined digital claim processes could ldquorevolutioniserdquo healthcare financingldquoSubstantial allocations for preventive healthcare including a nationwide network of screening centres and wellness programmes that could fundamentally shift our healthcare approach from curative to preventive will be beneficial for allrdquo says KhannaDr Boudhankar has highlighted that many Indians continue to remain uninsured or underinsured ldquoInsurance penetration is still very low in India as compared with the rest of the world Expanding insurance schemes to include outpatient care and subsidising premiums for lowincome families can address this gap GST on health insurance must be abolished to make health insurance affordablerdquo he believes InfrastructureAs the Union Budget 2025 is approaching reforms to enhance public health infrastructure and accessibility for timely intervention should be undertaken by the government We are hopeful that the government will take certain measures to boost allocations to strengthen rural healthcare services and upgrade district hospitals with stateoftheart facilities There is also a rising burden of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes heart disease and respiratory conditions that need immediate attention We hope the upcoming budget has provisions for better management of these conditions including prompt access to medication affordable healthcare services and prevention programmes when it comes to highrisk populations says Dr KrishnaFor Sushil Suri the chairman and managing director of Morepen Laboratories it is crucial to push for more manufacturing and Research and Development RampD to become selfreliant in the healthcare sectorWe anticipate that the upcoming budget will unleash the immense potential of the pharma sector projected to reach USD 130 billion by 2030 and USD 440 billion by 2047 A streamlined regulatory approval process is essential to enhance investments and productivity We urge the government to expand the scope of the ProductionLinked Incentive PLI Scheme to make it more accessible for the medical technology sector thereby boosting our manufacturing capabilities A unified regulatory framework will not only ease business operations but also attract substantial investments fostering competitiveness within the industryrdquo he says demanding timely approvals for new drugs coupled with a focus on RampD investments