BS Yediyurappa, Chief Minister, Karnataka has presented the state budget for 2021-22. 

Key highlights for the healthcare & pharma sectors include-

• Bulk Drug Park to come up at Kadechuru Industrial Area, Yadgir at a cost of Rs 1,478 crore with assistance from Centre.
• ICUs of 25-bed and 6-bed capacities will be established in 19 districts and 100 taluka hospitals at a cost of Rs 60 crore in the next two years
• The government will set up an anti-microbial resistance unit for Rs one crore.
• Laboratories will be set up at Rs 10 crore to detect hereditary metabolic diseases at Bengaluru and Ballari, to reduce the infant mortality rate.
• Rs 2 crore allocated for Tele-ICU facilities.
• Ayurvedic College in Shivamogga to be upgraded to Ayush University.
• Regional cancer centres to come up along the lines of Kidwai Hospital at Mysuru and Shivamogga at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
• To encourage Ayurvedic medicine in veterinary science, a new research institute to come up at a cost of Rs 2 crore at Veterinary College, Shivamogga.
• Government’s aim is to reduce the death and impairment caused by snake bites to 50% by the year 2030. An Anti-Venom Research and Development Centre will be established at a cost of Rs 7 crore to develop next generation anti-venom and to provide it at an affordable price and make it available easily. An amount of Rs 2 crore would be allocated in the financial year 2021-22 for this purpose.                           

“We welcome the measures announced by BS Yediyurappa in State Budget 2021-22. The budget rightly strikes a reasonable balance in addressing the key pillars of health and well-being. The array of measures announced are in line with our expectations. The substantial allocation in newborn screening and genomics will help detect hereditary metabolic diseases, controlling child mortality rate. In addition to these, setting up new institutes, health centres and mobile labs is also a welcoming move to strive for good standards of healthcare services”, said Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group Chief Operating Officer, Neuberg Diagnostics, Bengaluru.