The FM has raised the limit to Rs 25000 for the common man and to Rs 30000 for senior citizens in the budget. This will boost preventive healthcare and also help control life style diseases. Similarly, tax exemptions on YOGA institutions will strengthen preventive healthcare and control life style diseases. Increase in excise duty to 12.5 per cent on tobacco will indirectly help curb cancer. The present ratio of doctors to 1000 population is 0.7. This ratio will improve steadily because medical colleges will increase with new AIIMS institutes in five states and one AIIMS like institute in Bihar. Three pharma educational institutes in three states will also increase human resources in healthcare industry. VISA on arrival for 150 countries will strengthen medical tourism industry and bring in foreign exchange.
Rationalisation of import duty on raw materials will help produce local medical equipment making healthcare affordable and accessible. However, FM should have given tax holiday of 10 years for 50-bedded hospitals instead of present five year tax holiday on 100-bedded hospitals in certain rural areas. This would have helped take private quality healthcare to the rural masses. Similarly, FM has not given any incentives to the generic pharma industry. It could have made generic drugs available to the poor and rural masses making healthcare affordable and accessible.
