NATHEALTH Presents Blueprint For Overhauling India's Healthcare In Union Budget 2024-25

NATHEALTH-Healthcare Federation of India submitted a  blueprint, outlining transformative recommendations to revolutionize India's healthcare landscape in the forthcoming Union Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday. With a focus on strengthening healthcare infrastructure and strategic investments, NATHEALTH urges the government to undertake bold measures to overcome supply-side constraints, the company further added.

The recommendations put forth by NATHEALTH underscore the importance of enhancing healthcare infrastructure, rationalising GST, fostering innovative healthcare models tailored to diverse needs, facilitating access to capital, and leveraging technology to establish world-class healthcare ecosystems. Going beyond conventional norms, the blueprint advocates for inclusive strategies to address regional healthcare disparities, including initiatives targeting skilled health workforce enhancement and positioning India as a preferred choice for global and domestic patients.

Top Recommendations:

1. Increasing Budget Allocation to Health:

• India's public healthcare spending, currently at 1.6-1.8 per cent  of GDP, is deemed inadequate. NATHEALTH recommends an increase to 2.5 per cent of GDP to bolster social insurance schemes, enact healthcare reforms, develop infrastructure, and accelerate digital health services.

2. Rationalisation of GST:

• Addressing a persistent issue in the healthcare sector, NATHEALTH recommends a reform agenda in the Finance Bill to restructure the healthcare GST framework, mitigating challenges related to indirect taxation and input credit for providers.

3. Boosting the Value Chain:

• Emphasising the importance of strengthening the entire value chain, NATHEALTH calls for augmenting local capabilities to extend care to remote areas and harmonising global best practices through integrated budget allocations.

4. Boosting Medical Value Travel:

• Recognising the potential of medical value-added services and travel to reach USD 10 billion, NATHEALTH urges immediate government attention to address the MAT credit issue, creating a significant value proposition for medical value travel and capacity building.

5. Separate Budget Allocation for Skilling and Capacity Building:

• Recommending a dedicated budget for training and development programs for doctors, nurses, and allied healthcare workers, NATHEALTH emphasises the importance of digital learning stacks and smart certification standards to address the shortage in the healthcare workforce.

Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, President of NATHEALTH and MD & CEO of Fortis Healthcare, emphasised, "As we present these comprehensive budget recommendations, NATHEALTH envisions a transformative roadmap for India's healthcare future. Urging an increase in the healthcare budget, rationalization of GST, and strengthening the healthcare value chain, these steps are vital for a robust and responsive healthcare system in India."