https://biospectrumindia.com/rssfeed/special/union%20budget%2022 union budget 22 https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20637/with-the-launch-of-the-open-platform-for-the-national-digital-health-ecosystem-this-particular-gap-will-be-filled-in-a-single-go-glamyohealth.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20637/with-the-launch-of-the-open-platform-for-the-national-digital-health-ecosystem-this-particular-gap-will-be-filled-in-a-single-go-glamyohealth.html Mon, 14 Feb 2022 17:45:00 +0530 "With the launch of the open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem, this particular gap will be filled in a single go. As the Budget mentioned, the platform will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, which will serve the purpose of access and availability of information."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20555/the-budget-is-silent-on-ways-and-policies-to-boost-domestic-rd-in-medtech-j-mitra-co.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20555/the-budget-is-silent-on-ways-and-policies-to-boost-domestic-rd-in-medtech-j-mitra-co.html Thu, 03 Feb 2022 15:05:00 +0530 "We are dismayed by the Union Budget 2022 completely overlooking the fair expectations of the MedTech industry. There has been a lot of focus on future-speak – with elaborate mentions of digital and infrastructure, but the existing concerns of MedTech industry have been completely neglected. The budget is silent on ways and policies to boost domestic R&D in MedTech / healthcare segment." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20554/budget-22-is-visionary-and-focused-on-implementing-major-steps-core-diagnostics.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20554/budget-22-is-visionary-and-focused-on-implementing-major-steps-core-diagnostics.html Thu, 03 Feb 2022 15:00:00 +0530 "We congratulate the government for presenting a dynamic budget with a major focus on strengthening the healthcare sector. Budget 22 is visionary and focussed on implementing major steps to revitalise the healthcare industry including driving healthcare penetration underpinned by technology thrust and access. The introduction of National Tele Mental health to access quality mental health services is a much-appreciated move, considering the rise of pandemic accentuated mental health problems in India. While there has been no significant announcement related to the diagnostics sector, it is encouraging to see the government focusing on the PPP model and digital health which will further ensure accessibility and availability of quality healthcare services in remote locations."      ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20553/the-budget-on-medical-devices-has-given-very-confusing-signals-transasia-erba-international-group-of-companies.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20553/the-budget-on-medical-devices-has-given-very-confusing-signals-transasia-erba-international-group-of-companies.html Thu, 03 Feb 2022 13:05:00 +0530 "For the healthcare sector, the budget emphasised creating an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem, consisting of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities. In the long run, it will bridge the gap between physicians and patients or between two physicians, especially in remote areas. The medical devices industry was looking forward to some crucial reforms to encourage Make in India efforts for affordable healthcare at these times of the pandemic. In that respect, this budget has given very confusing signals. On several medical devices, the import duty has been reduced. That will surely kill the local manufacturers. I had expected more emphasis to be given to the healthcare sector in the Union Budget and some reforms to be made such as reduction in GST, the introduction of a Development Linked Incentive (DLI) to encourage R&D and reduction in the import duty on raw materials.”     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20545/the-allocation-towards-healthcare-is-not-to-the-level-we-anticipated-aster-dm-healthcare-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20545/the-allocation-towards-healthcare-is-not-to-the-level-we-anticipated-aster-dm-healthcare-.html Wed, 02 Feb 2022 15:20:00 +0530     “Digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities under the National Digital Health Mission are positive steps towards enabling access to healthcare for the wider population. Similarly, we are glad that mental health and the challenges put forward by the pandemic are being tackled at a national level with the launch of the Tele-Mental Health Programme. Upgrade of two lakh Anganwadis with better facilities will further enable the primary healthcare system and much-needed healthcare support in remote and rural areas. The allocation towards healthcare is not to the level we anticipated. Coming out of the shadows of the pandemic, it is most important to allocate at least 3 per cent of the budget to healthcare." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20543/the-budget-brought-disappointment-in-aspects-of-domestic-manufacturing-of-medical-devices-telemedicine-society-of-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20543/the-budget-brought-disappointment-in-aspects-of-domestic-manufacturing-of-medical-devices-telemedicine-society-of-india.html Wed, 02 Feb 2022 11:30:00 +0530 "2022’s budget has most welcomingly prioritised the digitalisation of healthcare services (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission), along with a greater focus on the mental health crisis (National Tele Mental Health Programme). But even though there has been a greater push towards these vital avenues, the budget brought disappointment in aspects of other essential services like domestic manufacturing of medical devices. The disappointment further ensued with lesser than anticipated, overall spending allocated to healthcare, which remains fundamental in infrastructural development of the same."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20542/a-positive-step-towards-prioritising-the-role-of-digitisation-in-healthcare-torrent-group.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20542/a-positive-step-towards-prioritising-the-role-of-digitisation-in-healthcare-torrent-group.html Wed, 02 Feb 2022 11:25:00 +0530 "The initiative of rolling out an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem consisting of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities is a positive step towards prioritising the role of digitisation in the overall healthcare ecosystem. Launching the National Tele Mental Health programme under the expert guidance of NIMHANS as the nodal organization is another extension of the digital health mission while improving the quality of life of citizens. The planned increase in capital expenditure is likely to boost economic growth and employment." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20541/we-were-expecting-higher-budget-allocation-for-the-pharma-sector-acg.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20541/we-were-expecting-higher-budget-allocation-for-the-pharma-sector-acg.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:50:00 +0530 "The Union Budget for 2022-23 presented will continue to accelerate economic growth through higher capital investment and lower inflation. Tax rates remaining unchanged despite likely challenges in fiscal targets is a very positive move to drive consumption and money in the hands of consumers. January GST collection is an indicator of buoyancy in economic growth. With respect to the pharma sector, we were expecting higher budget allocation due to the aftereffects of the pandemic. India being the Pharma capital of the world looks forward to greater support apart from PLI incentives announced." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20540/we-request-the-government-to-consider-lowering-the-cost-of-financing-capital-nathealth-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20540/we-request-the-government-to-consider-lowering-the-cost-of-financing-capital-nathealth-.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:40:00 +0530 "The speedy roll-out of the digital health mission, move towards provision of unique health identity, up-gradation of two lakh angadwadis, alignment of national skill framework with industry needs and value-based procurement augurs well for modernisation of healthcare in the post-pandemic era. The launch of the tele-mental programme has brought mental health issues to the forefront which will better access to quality mental health counselling. Focus on promoting R&D in the field of AI, genome sequencing and pharma is a much-needed demand being fulfilled. We congratulate the Government on record GST mobilisation, however, the embedded credit issue in the healthcare sector remains unaddressed, and we hope to soon find a viable solution acceptable to the government. There is also a need to create fiscal incentives for investments/PPP in both hospital and out-of-hospital delivery models like telemedicine, home care, senior care and long-term care. We request the government to consider lowering the cost of financing capital, free flow of credit into the sector especially for the build-up of new infra and capacity and continue investment in incentivising capacity build-up of supply-side levers through PPP like medical education, diagnostic and device manufacturing."       ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20539/encouraging-to-see-the-govts-attention-on-mental-health-fortis-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20539/encouraging-to-see-the-govts-attention-on-mental-health-fortis-healthcare.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:35:00 +0530 "It is very encouraging to see the government’s attention on the mental health of the citizens. The proposed National Tele-mental Programme will prove to be beneficial for a large section of society, enabling access to quality mental health counselling. The announcement regarding upgradation of 2 lakh angadwadis and the rolling out of the digital health mission will also help in providing greater access to healthcare services and strengthen capacities. As the programme is a long-term one, I am sure that funds will be made available in the future. That apart, the special status given to data centres is going to have an impact on the digitalisation of the healthcare ecosystem, both from the insurers’ as well as the providers’ perspective. I think these are very positive outcomes from the health perspective." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20538/budget-22-23-was-a-balanced-effort-to-improve-overall-economic-growth-trivitron-healthcare-and-neuberg-diagnostics.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20538/budget-22-23-was-a-balanced-effort-to-improve-overall-economic-growth-trivitron-healthcare-and-neuberg-diagnostics.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:30:00 +0530 "As expected, Budget 22-23 was a balanced effort to improve overall economic growth. The rollout of a National Digital Health Ecosystem will ensure that all segments of the society can access affordable and adequate healthcare seamlessly and efficiently. The launch of a National Tele Mental Health programme can play a catalytic role in both normalising conversations around mental health as well as ensuring that people can seek support for mental health-related challenges. The industry will benefit from the government's increased focus on healthcare. The National healthcare mission outlay has been kept at ~Rs 37,000 crores like the previous year and this is a bit disappointing, considering the fact our healthcare infrastructure needs a big boost in the coming years."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20537/the-budget-has-not-addressed-many-of-the-issues-mtai.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20537/the-budget-has-not-addressed-many-of-the-issues-mtai.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:25:00 +0530 "A 35.4 per cent increase in CAPEX is a significant boost, even if we were to discount some of this delta which would not apply. We do hope that the benefit is also received by the healthcare sector which needs a big boost. We expect a good part of it will be spent on building healthcare infrastructure, as per the aspirations stated while enunciating the National Infrastructure pipeline. The budget has not addressed many of the issues highlighted by large parts of the healthcare industry like streamlining of GST and reduction of customs duty. The rolling back of the health cess is our other demand which will help us preserve jobs, jobs which are instrumental in making the healthcare workers patient ready. The budget is reflective of the realisation that healthcare is a vital sector and hope these issues are taken up by the relevant departments at the earliest."       ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20536/the-initiatives-will-facilitate-the-ongoing-efforts-towards-the-digitalisation-of-the-sector-schneider-electric-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20536/the-initiatives-will-facilitate-the-ongoing-efforts-towards-the-digitalisation-of-the-sector-schneider-electric-india.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 21:10:00 +0530 "Announcement of major allocations aimed towards increasing renewable energy, empowering energy efficiency, and grid-connected energy storage will bring forward change and forge our future with actionable, result-oriented outputs. These endeavours will be instrumental in driving the greater goal of carbon-neutrality and powering a net-zero future with digitalisation at the core. The implementation of town planning schemes, modernisation of building bylaws, and transit-oriented development for urban capacity building will have a direct contribution to the achievement of our sustainability goals. The proposal for energy efficiency in large buildings through the Energy-Service-Company-Business model, capacity-building exercises and awareness campaigns to improve healthcare infrastructure, will bolster the sector even further and bring revolutionary advancements into play. The implementation of an open platform for the national digital health ecosystem, which includes digital registries of health providers and health facilities, a unique health identity, a consent framework, and universal access to health facilities, will be critical as we aim to grow from strength to strength. The initiatives announced under the Union Budget will facilitate the ongoing efforts towards the digitalisation of the sector while also enhancing the role of health-tech businesses and driving the country’s health-tech sector forward."       ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20609/there-is-no-significant-increase-in-budgetary-allocation-to-health-for-fy-22-23-sarvodaya-hospital.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20609/there-is-no-significant-increase-in-budgetary-allocation-to-health-for-fy-22-23-sarvodaya-hospital.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:40:00 +0530 “A bold budget that lays down a 25-year roadmap for India to become a truly digital economy. The announcement regarding the establishment of the National Digital Health Ecosystem is significant. It will make the health sector much more efficient and bring it into the modern age. Setting up a national tele mental health programme to provide counselling and support to patients fulfil an urgent, long-felt need of an overlooked health challenge. Upgrading two lakh anganwadis with better infrastructure will have a positive effect on child health. There is no significant increase in budgetary allocation to health for FY 22-23, which is a bit disappointing considering how the Indian healthcare system struggled to meet the challenge of the epidemic. However, all in all, it is a very well thought out budget that will have a positive impact on the digital and health infrastructure of the country.”   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20608/the-budget-is-a-positive-step-towards-prioritising-the-role-of-digitisation-in-the-overall-healthcare-ecosystem-torrent-group-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20608/the-budget-is-a-positive-step-towards-prioritising-the-role-of-digitisation-in-the-overall-healthcare-ecosystem-torrent-group-.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:35:00 +0530 "The initiative of rolling out an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem consisting of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities is a positive step towards prioritising the role of digitisation in the overall healthcare ecosystem. Launching National Tele Mental Health programme under the expert guidance of NIMHANS as the nodal organisation is another extension of digital health mission while improving the quality of life of citizens." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20607/the-budget-is-focussed-on-capital-expenditure-to-fuel-economic-growth-and-create-employment-healthcare-global-enterprises.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20607/the-budget-is-focussed-on-capital-expenditure-to-fuel-economic-growth-and-create-employment-healthcare-global-enterprises.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:25:00 +0530     “The Union Budget 2022 is focussed on capital expenditure to fuel economic growth and create employment. When it comes to the healthcare sector, the National Tele-Mental Health programme is a progressive step in recognising mental health as an important and integral component of overall health. The launch of the national digital health ecosystem with an open platform will go a long way in promoting the use of digital technologies in making healthcare available and accessible. However, based on our experience during the three waves of this pandemic and the huge burden of non-communicable diseases in India, there is an urgent need to accelerate our allocation towards health expenditure.”   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20639/the-upcoming-launch-of-an-open-platform-for-the-national-digital-health-ecosystem-is-exciting-news-for-us-stanplus.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20639/the-upcoming-launch-of-an-open-platform-for-the-national-digital-health-ecosystem-is-exciting-news-for-us-stanplus.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:50:00 +0530 "The upcoming launch of an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem is exciting news for us. It will include digital registries of health providers and facilities, a unique health identity, and universal access to health facilities, all of which will aid us in saving lives by allowing us access to contextual health information in quick time, enabling faster and better medical response in emergencies."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20640/the-initiative-taken-for-mental-health-is-welcomed-by-the-healthcare-industry-metropolis-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20640/the-initiative-taken-for-mental-health-is-welcomed-by-the-healthcare-industry-metropolis-healthcare.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:50:00 +0530 "Much-needed attention is given to ease of access to healthcare services through an open platform of the National Digital Health Ecosystem. The initiative taken for mental health is welcomed by the healthcare industry. Irrespective of age, gender, and occupation the need for focus on mental health is necessary given the current situation. The National Tele Mental Health programme is a positive step to support national mental health counselling and care services. Greater fund and resource allocation to enhance the healthcare infrastructure both in urban areas as well as in tier II-III towns have been prioritised. The budget also highlighted the importance of Genomics and AI aptly in future. However, a larger push to overall infrastructure, manpower and investments in Public-Private Partnerships which can help in further strengthening the healthcare ecosystem in the country remains undiscussed."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20636/the-government-has-recognised-the-need-for-mental-health-service-lissun.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20636/the-government-has-recognised-the-need-for-mental-health-service-lissun.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:45:00 +0530 "The National Mental Health Programme and Health and Wellness Centres alone could not have reached every individual in the crisis that they might face struggling in a moment. Easy access was the primary point of concern for everyone trying to help with the issue. The government has recognised this and addressed the same by launching Tele mental health service. The budget inculcating the fact that focussing mental and emotional wellness is the need of the hour, itself talks about how progressive we are becoming in our approach as a nation."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20638/with-the-launch-of-the-open-platform-for-the-national-digital-health-ecosystem-this-particular-gap-will-be-filled-in-a-single-go-glamyohealth.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20638/with-the-launch-of-the-open-platform-for-the-national-digital-health-ecosystem-this-particular-gap-will-be-filled-in-a-single-go-glamyohealth.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:45:00 +0530 "With the launch of the open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem, this particular gap will be filled in a single go. As the Budget mentioned, the platform will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, which will serve the purpose of access and availability of information."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20664/-the-budget-has-correctly-highlighted-the-imperative-for-greater-emphasis-on-innovation-research-paras-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20664/-the-budget-has-correctly-highlighted-the-imperative-for-greater-emphasis-on-innovation-research-paras-healthcare.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:20:00 +0530 "This Budget seems to have balanced out infrastructure and healthcare well. A lauded initiative by the FM Nirmala Sitharaman is the National Digital Health Ecosystem which will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities. The budget has correctly highlighted the imperative for greater emphasis on innovation, research, and development, which are crucial to helping India reach the aspirational goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy. The pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages. To better the access to quality mental health counseling and care services, a National Tele Mental Health programme has also been launched. We are delighted that the government has recognised and considered strengthening the healthcare system for betterment of individuals, healthcare workers and hospitals along with the required infrastructure. It’s a growth focussed budget which is the need of the hour." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20662/budget-2022-has-continued-with-the-growth-momentum-from-last-year-ikris-pharma-network.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20662/budget-2022-has-continued-with-the-growth-momentum-from-last-year-ikris-pharma-network.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:15:00 +0530 "There is no doubt that budget 2022 has continued with the growth momentum from last year. With PM Gatishakti forming one of the four core pillars of this vision, the others being inclusive development, productivity enhancement and investment, sunrise opportunities, energy transition and climate action, the budget carries a long-term perspective. This is also evident from over 35 per cent jump in capital expenditure provided in this budget. With the National Digital Health Ecosystem provisioning for digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity, consent framework, and universal access to health facilities, the intent is to provide a sustained thrust to the all-round digitalization of health access in the country. The extension of special incentives and exemptions for start-ups would also give a huge boost to private players in the health sector attempting to change the way we receive healthcare services in the country." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20663/the-budget-is-set-to-provide-access-to-quality-mental-health-counselling-and-care-services-ihw-council-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20663/the-budget-is-set-to-provide-access-to-quality-mental-health-counselling-and-care-services-ihw-council-.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:15:00 +0530 "The finance minister has announced the launch of the National Tele Mental Health Programme and this is set to provide access to quality mental health counselling and care services. This is quite a significant decision, given the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has the mental health of people from all walks of life in the last two years, in an unprecedented manner. It has already been observed that mental health crises are at an all-time high in our country, with high distress and anxiety due to this pandemic resulting in poor psychological well-being, an increase in suicidal tendency, to name a few. Mental health experts have long opined for one such programme that will allow us to tackle these problems more comprehensively. Therefore, the following announcement by the Government of India will benefit millions of Indian citizens." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20634/it-is-a-remarkable-budget-devoid-of-tempting-populist-announcements-metro-pacific-hospital.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20634/it-is-a-remarkable-budget-devoid-of-tempting-populist-announcements-metro-pacific-hospital.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:10:00 +0530 "In view of the impending series of state elections, it is a remarkable Budget devoid of tempting populist announcements and setting the roadmap for India@100 focusing on the creation of both capital and social infrastructure and setting up a strong foundation for accelerated growth."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20633/its-gratifying-to-see-that-mental-health-has-got-a-rare-mention-in-union-budget-2022-23-atease-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20633/its-gratifying-to-see-that-mental-health-has-got-a-rare-mention-in-union-budget-2022-23-atease-.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:05:00 +0530 "As a strong ally of mental health, it's gratifying to see that mental health has got a rare mention in Union Budget 2022-23. This shows the government's acceptance and concern towards holistic health and not just physical health which has been brought to the fore by the pandemic. The proposed National Tele-Mental Health programme will be indeed a strong step towards supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of individuals, families, and society at large. Post pandemic, especially since 2020 mental health issues are no more considered an urban phenomenon but have spread across small towns in India and need to make mental health services more accessible is bigger than ever."    ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20660/in-pure-monetary-terms-there-is-no-major-outlay-to-healthcare-sector-per-se-amrita-hospital-kochi.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20660/in-pure-monetary-terms-there-is-no-major-outlay-to-healthcare-sector-per-se-amrita-hospital-kochi.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:05:00 +0530 "There was an expectation of significant increase in the budgetary allocation to health for the FY 22-23 in face of the impact of the pandemic. However, in pure monetary terms there is no major outlay to healthcare sector per se. The allocation as a percentage of the GDP doesn’t appear to have changed. The focus has continued to remain on aligning various other sectors to achieve public health goals. The development of public health infrastructure and development of skilled healthcare professionals to meet the healthcare needs of the growing population of India doesn’t find a mention in the Budget. This is disappointing in a way as these were badly exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially during the second wave. Budgetary allocation for the development of the National Digital ecosystem and National Tele Mental Health Program can be termed as positives from this Budget Speech by the Honorable Finance Minister. With regards to the Private Health Sector, I don’t see any additional Tax benefits or leeway being given by the Government." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20661/the-union-budget-laid-the-foundation-and-a-roadmap-for-the-economy-park-group-of-hospitals.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20661/the-union-budget-laid-the-foundation-and-a-roadmap-for-the-economy-park-group-of-hospitals.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:05:00 +0530 "The Union Budget laid the foundation and a roadmap for the economy over the next 25 years. We applaud the initiative to make the National Digital Health Ecosystem an open platform. Digital health professionals and facility registrations, a unique health identity, and universal access to health care facilities will all be part of this. Mobile phone tariffs have been reduced by the government, making them affordable. This will considerably boost telemedicine's capacity to spread to even the most remote parts of the country. This can be utilised to provide rural populations with the best healthcare possible. The pandemic has placed mental health at the forefront of people's minds. The government has announced a national telemental health initiative to help with this. This would feature a network of 23 high-performing telemental health centres, with Nimhans as the nodal centre and IIIT Bangalore providing technological support. This would surely increase the availability of high-quality mental health counselling and treatment. We applaud the budget because it will aid in increasing the digital penetration of health services among the general public." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20658/the-union-budget-is-a-progressive-kamineni-hospitals.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20658/the-union-budget-is-a-progressive-kamineni-hospitals.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0530 "The Union Budget is a progressive one that holds the potential to tackle the economic challenges faced by the country in the post-COVID period. It is heartening to see Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s focus on sectors like health, including digital health ecosystem and mental health and wellbeing. The FM’s announcement of the National Digital Health Ecosystem is laudable. The open platform that will consist of digital registries of health providers, health facilities, unique health identity, and universal access to health facilities, will go a long way in providing quality and on-demand healthcare to the country’s people. We welcome the Union Budget for the financial year 2022-23 and look forward to working with the government and all stakeholders to bring quality healthcare to the people of India." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20659/we-are-extremely-happy-and-welcome-this-budget-jeevam-health-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20659/we-are-extremely-happy-and-welcome-this-budget-jeevam-health-.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0530 “We are extremely happy and welcome this budget which focuses on digital health programmes in the healthcare segment. Covid has had a drastic impact on people and it’s important to keep our mental health a priority. The government's support in launching National Digital Health Ecosystem will help in transforming the medical infrastructure in our country. We look forward to working closely with the government on this and also coming up with programs for our clients on ways to cope with mental health.”    ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20632/it-is-heartening-that-the-union-budget-2022-identifies-genomics-and-pharmaceuticals-as-sunrise-sectors-boehringer-ingelheim-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20632/it-is-heartening-that-the-union-budget-2022-identifies-genomics-and-pharmaceuticals-as-sunrise-sectors-boehringer-ingelheim-india.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 16:55:00 +0530 “It is heartening that the Union Budget 2022 identifies Genomics and Pharmaceuticals as ‘sunrise’ sectors. This would enable well-rounded development beyond employment and access to enhanced industry efficiencies and competitiveness, which will go a long way in attracting increased investments in biopharmaceutical innovation. Our progress in research and development is inextricably linked to fostering a culture of innovation. Allowing for additional provisions towards establishing a stronger IPR ecosystem in the country is imperative to improve the Ease of Doing Index in India and further propel FDI in the pharmaceutical sector." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20657/this-is-a-great-move-by-the-government-manipal-hospital-varthur-road-bengaluru.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20657/this-is-a-great-move-by-the-government-manipal-hospital-varthur-road-bengaluru.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 16:55:00 +0530 "This is a great move by the government, in fact, this was much needed indeed. According to the Lancet Report, the amount of rising in depression and anxiety was up by 40 per cent each. There is a dearth of Psychiatrists in India, we have one psychiatrist for 3500 patients. So, seeing everyone in person was a big challenge, teleconsultation is a big boon for our fraternity. Patients can definitely talk more on teleconsultation, and we'll be happy to interact with them and look at their expressions. Also, some of these patients who are afraid of stigmatization can consult online from anywhere." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20631/telemedicine-will-greatly-enhance-accessibility-for-patients-pwc-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20631/telemedicine-will-greatly-enhance-accessibility-for-patients-pwc-india.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 16:50:00 +0530 “The pandemic has caused a silent global mental health epidemic. The use of telemedicine to diagnose and treat such patients has proved to be highly effective given the unobtrusive nature of the interaction which also ensures patient privacy. Given the shortage of mental health professionals, especially in rural areas, telemedicine will greatly enhance accessibility for patients requiring psychiatric help.”     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20655/fm-has-made-first-ever-reference-to-mental-health-breathe-well-being.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20655/fm-has-made-first-ever-reference-to-mental-health-breathe-well-being.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 16:50:00 +0530 "The FM has acknowledged the role played by tech-led health services throughout the course of the ongoing pandemic. The government is focusing even more than ever to ensure that the healthcare infrastructure of the country continues to strengthen by collaborating with new age health tech companies. For the first time ever at a national stage, FM has made first ever reference to mental health and well being and has gone ahead and announced the launch of a portal. The tele mental health portal will improve access to patients seeking professional help and no doubt the government is going to look towards health tech startups to collaborate and grow this initiative. As a health tech company, which helps people reverse type 2 diabetes, mental well being is an important pillar of our programme. We are keen on exploring this further once the fine print comes out. If there is a scope to collaborate with any of the stakeholders, we believe we will bring the right know-how to the table." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20656/union-budget-2022-23-has-given-healthcare-a-much-needed-digital-push-india-health-link.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20656/union-budget-2022-23-has-given-healthcare-a-much-needed-digital-push-india-health-link.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 16:50:00 +0530 "Union Budget 2022-23 has given healthcare a much-needed digital push. Rolling out an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem, setting up of National TeleHealth Mental Scheme, incentivising start-ups, which would include health, and ‘Drone Shakti’ are innovative ideas and in the right direction. To further push the digital mission, it is vital for the government to partner with the private sector and use the technological innovations coming from creative start-ups in the field. A point noteworthy is the ‘Drone Shakti’ – a plan to encourage drone technology. This could be used in multiple ways in the healthcare segment too." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20654/we-welcome-the-governments-initiative-of-a-national-tele-mental-health-prog-future-generali-india-insurance.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20654/we-welcome-the-governments-initiative-of-a-national-tele-mental-health-prog-future-generali-india-insurance.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 16:45:00 +0530 "We welcome the government's initiative of a national tele-mental health programme and believe it’s a good starting point to normalise mental health conversations and seek help and access to universal health facilities. As a responsible insurer and a purpose led brand, we strongly believe that mental health is as important as physical health and remain committed towards educating our citizens and creating awareness on mental wellness.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20651/there-must-be-also-a-significant-investment-in-medical-devices-ss-innovations.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20651/there-must-be-also-a-significant-investment-in-medical-devices-ss-innovations.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:55:00 +0530 "I think it is great to see an increase in digital health and telehealth will absolutely help but telehealth applications must be across the board. It must be included that there is tele education, telediagnosis,  there should be tele therapeutic and gradually we must be decentralixed whereby healthcare is brought to all parts of the country. There must be also a significant investment in medical devices because currently, we import, which keeps the healthcare cost very high and not affordable to many of the people within the country."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20650/the-budget-is-devoid-of-necessary-benefits-to-the-healthcare-sector-milann-fertility-birthing-hospitals.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20650/the-budget-is-devoid-of-necessary-benefits-to-the-healthcare-sector-milann-fertility-birthing-hospitals.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:50:00 +0530 "While the overall budget seemed growth oriented, it is devoid of necessary benefits to the healthcare sector. Although the announcement on the launch of a national tele mental health programme has come as a relief in view of the mental health issue which emerged as a result of the pandemic, there are many other major health concerns which need to be addressed like stress and lifestyle issues which are also regarded as direct result of the pandemic."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20649/the-government-should-have-also-focussed-on-preventive-healthcare-for-ncds-indus-health-plus.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20649/the-government-should-have-also-focussed-on-preventive-healthcare-for-ncds-indus-health-plus.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:45:00 +0530 "The decision to open 23 tele health centres to boost the healthcare sector and make it more accessible for people who are living in the remotest area of the country is a welcome decision. However, the government should have also focussed on preventive healthcare for NCDs as it plays most important role in keeping India Healthy."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20648/we-were-expecting-some-announcements-in-terms-of-gst-reduction-ithrive.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20648/we-were-expecting-some-announcements-in-terms-of-gst-reduction-ithrive.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:40:00 +0530 "We were expecting some announcements in terms of GST reduction for the healthcare sector covering all wellness-related services, including naturopathic to nutrition, that has not been even considered, which is a disappointment for us."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20646/it-was-disappointing-not-to-hear-of-any-announcement-on-many-critical-areas-healthcare-global-enterprises.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20646/it-was-disappointing-not-to-hear-of-any-announcement-on-many-critical-areas-healthcare-global-enterprises.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:20:00 +0530 "It was disappointing not to hear of any announcement on many critical areas facing the healthcare industry, like the urgent need to raise healthcare expenditure to at least around 2.5% of GDP. Given the chronic issues facing healthcare in India, 1.8 percent falls short of addressing the lingering challenges on the ground. We also need universal health coverage to enforce uniformity of treatment through cross-subsidy, devoid of financial strain and debt traps for the economically challenged. I was also expecting heartening policy measures on many other key issues; like the investments in tech-enabled systems using predictive genomics to fight the evolving mutations and likelihood of newer microorganisms, rationalization of the tax structure around life-saving drugs and emergency treatments, as also lowering of GST slabs and raising of tax deduction limits that are imperative to serve the larger cause of insurance."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20647/oral-health-has-not-got-the-importance-that-it-deserves-mydentalplan-healthcare-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20647/oral-health-has-not-got-the-importance-that-it-deserves-mydentalplan-healthcare-.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:20:00 +0530 "In Budget 2022, a lot of impetus has been laid on healthcare and mental health, which is a step in the right direction. However, oral health has not got the importance that it deserves. It is a well-established fact that oral well-being is the gateway to overall health. We were hoping that the Hon’ble Finance Minister would address this in the budget 2022 and announce measures to accentuate this sector. One of the ways to do this was to drive faster adoption of dental insurance in the country as we believe that this move would not just help in lowering the cost of treatment but also encourage people to visit a dentist when they need one."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20645/the-government-should-have-focussed-more-on-primary-healthcare-investment-ficci.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20645/the-government-should-have-focussed-more-on-primary-healthcare-investment-ficci.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:15:00 +0530 "It was expected the government to look at increasing the healthcare expenditure above 2.5 per cent of the GDP but there was not adequate attention paid to it. Although there had been a rise of 137% allocation in healthcare sector last year much was fulfilled in reality by the government. Overall, the proposals made in the Budget 22-23, should have made quality healthcare accessible and affordable. The government should have focussed more on primary healthcare investment and  made the  Healthcare system as National Priority’ status, as was done for the IT sector."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20644/no-strategic-stated-measures-to-boost-domestic-manufacturing-aimed.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20644/no-strategic-stated-measures-to-boost-domestic-manufacturing-aimed.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:10:00 +0530 "We were expecting the government to move forward on promised reforms and anticipated conducive measures to boost domestic manufacturing of medical devices. It is frustrating that against our expectations, the government has not included any measures to help end the 80-85 per cent import dependence forced upon India and an ever-increasing import bill of over Rs 46000 crore and promoting growth Indian Medical Device industry other than repeating last year’s assurance to end custom exemptions of products that can be made in India. Sadly the union budget 2022 speech has no strategic stated measures to boost domestic manufacturing. These are the same domestic manufacturers, when imports got disrupted during the COVID-19 crisis, the government relied heavily on them to meet the rising demand of essential covid items for the country pushing the Indian medical devices sector to become self-reliant."     ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/news/87/20521/union-budget-2022-emphasis-on-mental-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/news/87/20521/union-budget-2022-emphasis-on-mental-healthcare.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 The Union Budget for 2022-23 has been presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Healthcare Stating that the pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages across the country, the FM has announced that a National Tele Mental Health programme will be launched, to give better access to quality mental health counseling and care services. "This will include a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence, with NIMHANS being the nodal centre and International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB) providing technology support", she said. During the budget announcement, the FM also mentioned that an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem will be rolled out. It will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities.   Startups The FM has proposed extending the tax holiday scheme to startups incorporated till March 31, 2023, in addition to the startups that had already been eligible for the exemption. She also said that Venture Capital and Private Equity invested more than Rs 5.5 lakh crore last year facilitating one of the largest startup and growth ecosystem.   PLI Scheme "The Productivity Linked Incentive (PLI) in 14 sectors for achieving the vision of AtmaNirbhar Bharat has received excellent response, with potential to create 60 lakh new jobs, and an additional production of ` 30 lakh crore during next 5 years. A scheme for design-led manufacturing will be launched to build a strong ecosystem for 5G as part of the Production Linked Incentive Scheme", she mentioned.   Special Economic Zones The FM said, "The Special Economic Zones Act will be replaced with a new legislation that will enable the states to become partners in ‘Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs’. This will cover all large existing and new industrial enclaves to optimally utilise available infrastructure and enhance competitiveness of exports."   Custom exemptions In review of customs exemptions and tariff simplification, she said, "In the last two budgets we have rationalised several customs exemptions. We have once again carried out an extensive consultation, including by crowd sourcing and as a result of these consultations, more than 350 exemption entries are proposed to be gradually phased out. These include exemption on certain agricultural produce, chemicals, fabrics, medical devices and drugs and medicines for which sufficient domestic capacity exists. Further, as a simplification measure, several concessional rates are being incorporated in the Customs Tariff Schedule itself instead of prescribing them through various notifications."   Sunrise Opportunities The FM mentioned that artificial intelligence, Geospatial Systems and Drones, Semiconductor and its eco-system, Space Economy, Genomics and Pharmaceuticals, Green Energy, and Clean Mobility Systems have immense potential to assist sustainable development at scale and modernize the country. "For R&D in these sunrise opportunities, in addition to efforts of collaboration among academia, industry and public institutions, government contribution will be provided", she said. --------------   Industry reactions to the Union budget 2022-23   Thumbs UP   "Fiscal prudence and business ease has been the theme. 35% increase in capital expenditure will drive infra and jobs - Positive rhetoric with no negative surprises = balanced budget" Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon   “The pandemic has caused a silent global mental health epidemic. The use of telemedicine to diagnose and treat such patients has proved to be highly effective given the unobtrusive nature of the interaction which also ensures patient privacy. Given the shortage of mental health professionals, especially in rural areas, telemedicine will greatly enhance accessibility for patients requiring psychiatric help.” Dr Rana Mehta, Partner and Leader Healthcare, PwC India   “It is heartening that the Union Budget 2022 identifies Genomics and Pharmaceuticals as ‘sunrise’ sectors. This would enable well-rounded development beyond employment and access to enhanced industry efficiencies and competitiveness, which will go a long way in attracting increased investments in biopharmaceutical innovation. Our progress in research and development is inextricably linked to fostering a culture of innovation. Allowing for additional provisions towards establishing a stronger IPR ecosystem in the country is imperative to improve the Ease of Doing Index in India and further propel FDI in the pharmaceutical sector." Vani Manja, Country Managing Director, Boehringer Ingelheim India   "As a strong ally of mental health, it's gratifying to see that mental health has got a rare mention in Union Budget 2022-23. This shows the government's acceptance and concern towards holistic health and not just physical health which has been brought to the fore by the pandemic. The proposed National Tele-Mental Health program will be indeed a strong step towards supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of individuals, families, and society at large. Post pandemic, especially since 2020 mental health issues are no more considered an urban phenomenon but have spread across small towns in India and need to make mental health services more accessible is bigger than ever."  Subhamoy Dastidar, Director, AtEase    "In view of the impending series of state elections, it is a remarkable Budget devoid of tempting populist announcements and setting the roadmap for India@100 focusing on the creation of both capital and social infrastructure and setting up a strong foundation for accelerated growth."   Dr Harish Pillai, CEO, Metro Pacific Hospital     "The National Mental Health Programme and Health and Wellness Centres alone could not have reached every individual in the crisis that they might face struggling in a moment. Easy access was the primary point of concern for everyone trying to help with the issue. The government has recognised this and addressed the same by launching Tele mental health service. The budget inculcating the fact that focussing mental and emotional wellness is the need of the hour, itself talks about how progressive we are becoming in our approach as a nation."   Tarun Gupta, Co-founder, LISSUN     "With the launch of the open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem, this particular gap will be filled in a single go. As the Budget mentioned, the platform will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, which will serve the purpose of access and availability of information."   Dr Preet Pal Thakur, Co-founder, GlamyoHealth     "The upcoming launch of an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem is exciting news for us. It will include digital registries of health providers and facilities, a unique health identity, and universal access to health facilities, all of which will aid us in saving lives by allowing us access to contextual health information in quick time, enabling faster and better medical response in emergencies."   Prabhdeep Singh, Founder and CEO, StanPlus      "Much-needed attention is given to ease of access to healthcare services through an open platform of the National Digital Health Ecosystem. The initiative taken for mental health is welcomed by the healthcare industry. Irrespective of age, gender, and occupation the need for focus on mental health is necessary given the current situation. The National Tele Mental Health programme is a positive step to support national mental health counselling and care services. Greater fund and resource allocation to enhance the healthcare infrastructure both in urban areas as well as in tier II-III towns have been prioritised. The budget also highlighted the importance of Genomics and AI aptly in future. However, a larger push to overall infrastructure, manpower and investments in Public-Private Partnerships which can help in further strengthening the healthcare ecosystem in the country remains undiscussed."   Ameera Shah, Promoter & MD, Metropolis Healthcare         Thumbs DOWN   "We were expecting the government to move forward on promised reforms and anticipated conducive measures to boost domestic manufacturing of medical devices. It is frustrating that against our expectations, the government has not included any measures to help end the 80-85 per cent import dependence forced upon India and an ever-increasing import bill of over Rs 46000 crore and promoting growth Indian Medical Device industry other than repeating last year’s assurance to end custom exemptions of products that can be made in India. Sadly the union budget 2022 speech has no strategic stated measures to boost domestic manufacturing. These are the same domestic manufacturers, when imports got disrupted during the COVID-19 crisis, the government relied heavily on them to meet the rising demand of essential covid items for the country pushing the Indian medical devices sector to become self-reliant."   Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD)     "It was expected the government to look at increasing the healthcare expenditure above 2.5 per cent of the GDP but there was not adequate attention paid to it. Although there had been a rise of 137% allocation in healthcare sector last year much was fulfilled in reality by the government. Overall, the proposals made in the Budget 22-23, should have made quality healthcare accessible and affordable. The government should have focused more on primary healthcare investment and  made the  Healthcare system as National Priority’ status, as was done for the IT sector."   Dr Alok Roy, Member, FICCI, Health Services Committee and Chairman Medica Group of Hospitals     "It was disappointing not to hear of any announcement on many critical areas facing the healthcare industry, like the urgent need to raise healthcare expenditure to at least around 2.5% of GDP. Given the chronic issues facing healthcare in India, 1.8 percent falls short of addressing the lingering challenges on the ground. We also need universal health coverage to enforce uniformity of treatment through cross-subsidy, devoid of financial strain and debt traps for the economically challenged. I was also expecting heartening policy measures on many other key issues; like the investments in tech-enabled systems using predictive genomics to fight the evolving mutations and likelihood of newer microorganisms, rationalization of the tax structure around life-saving drugs and emergency treatments, as also lowering of GST slabs and raising of tax deduction limits that are imperative to serve the larger cause of insurance."   Dr B S Ajaikumar, Executive Chairman, HealthCare Global Enterprises     "In Budget 2022, a lot of impetus has been laid on healthcare and mental health, which is a step in the right direction. However, oral health has not got the importance that it deserves. It is a well-established fact that oral well-being is the gateway to overall health. We were hoping that the Hon’ble Finance Minister would address this in the budget 2022 and announce measures to accentuate this sector. One of the ways to do this was to drive faster adoption of dental insurance in the country as we believe that this move would not just help in lowering the cost of treatment but also encourage people to visit a dentist when they need one."   Harminder Singh Multani, CEO, MyDentalPlan Healthcare      "We were expecting some announcements in terms of GST reduction for the healthcare sector covering all wellness-related services, including naturopathic to nutrition, that has not been even considered, which is a disappointment for us."   Mugdha Pradhan, CEO and Founder, iThrive     "The decision to open 23 tele health centres to boost the healthcare sector and make it more accessible for people who are living in the remotest area of the country is a welcome decision. However, the government should have also focused on preventive healthcare for NCDs as it plays most important role in keeping India Healthy."   Amol Naikawadi, Joint Managing Director, Indus Health Plus   "While the overall budget seemed growth oriented, it is devoid of necessary benefits to the healthcare sector. Although the announcement on the launch of a national tele mental health programme has come as a relief in view of the mental health issue which emerged as a result of the pandemic, there are many other major health concerns which need to be addressed like stress and lifestyle issues which are also regarded as direct result of the pandemic." Shailesh Guntu, CEO, Milann Fertility & Birthing Hospitals   "I think it is great to see an increase in digital health and telehealth will absolutely help but telehealth applications must be across the board. It must be included that there is tele education, telediagnosis,  there should be tele therapeutic and gradually we must be decentralized whereby healthcare is brought to all parts of the country. There must be also a significant investment in medical devices because currently, we import, which keeps the healthcare cost very high and not affordable to many of the people within the country." Dr Sudhir Prem Srivastava M.D. Founder, Chairman  & CEO - SS INNOVATIONS   Click here for more reactions....   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20526/we-are-primed-to-withstand-many-challenges-cytiva.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20526/we-are-primed-to-withstand-many-challenges-cytiva.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "As per the FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget, India’s GDP is estimated to grow at about 9.27%. That means as a nation, we are primed to withstand many challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic due to our higher penetration of vaccinations. All we need to do is maintain this strong position our economy finds itself in.Since we are still in the midst of the Omicron wave, the FM observes that the speed of our prompt and all-encompassing vaccination campaign has helped greatly. She’s also confident that with ‘Sabka Prayaas’, we'll continue on a strong growth path. During Amrit Kaal, our government aims to achieve the vision for India@100 that was unveiled by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day Address." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20527/launch-of-tele-mental-health-programme-will-go-a-long-way-cadila-pharma.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20527/launch-of-tele-mental-health-programme-will-go-a-long-way-cadila-pharma.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "A growth and development-oriented budget with focus on infrastructure, transport & logistic, manufacturing, education, health, and digital economy. The budget emphasizes supportive policies, regulations, and ease of doing business to build domestic capacities, promote R&D and generate employment opportunities which will ensure sustainable growth for the country in years to come.  Launch of the National digital health Eco System and  National Tele Mental Health Programme will go a long way to serve health care needs of society.  " ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20528/the-budget-with-its-digital-push-has-its-heart-in-the-right-place-apollo-hospitals-group.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20528/the-budget-with-its-digital-push-has-its-heart-in-the-right-place-apollo-hospitals-group.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “This year the budget has truly put the spotlight n key issues facing the nation as it emerges from two years of the pandemic. The Union Budget 2022 moves to address the pressing needs with announcements that will act as an emollient not just for the economy but also the people. The budget with its digital push in education and skilling for all shows that it has its heart in the right place. “During the pandemic, we saw an immense contribution of start-ups to innovation in healthcare and the extension of the tax benefits for another year should encourage more start-ups in the healthtech space to come up and invest in R&D especially in the field of AI powered smart wearables and predictive healthcare. This will in turn be invaluable in strengthening our fight against non-communicable diseases, which can otherwise derail the economic recovery by impacting our productive demographic. “The budget keeps us on track on enabling universal health accessibility with the proposed National Digital Health Ecosystem. With digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity for each individual, this will help in providing universal access to health facilities. Along with the national tele-mental health program, this shows the enhanced focus on health. At Apollo Hospitals, we look forward to contributing to the success of these path-breaking initiatives along with rest of the private sector healthcare.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20529/budget-is-full-of-opportunities-for-more-infrastructure-jobs-prime-minister.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20529/budget-is-full-of-opportunities-for-more-infrastructure-jobs-prime-minister.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "The Budget this year has come with a new confidence of development amidst the once-in-a-century calamity. This Budget will create new opportunities for common people along with providing strength to the economy. It is full of opportunities for more Infrastructure, more Investment, more growth, and more jobs. This will further open the green job sector. This Budget not only solves the contemporary problems but also ensures bright future for the youth.  The quest for modernity and technology in every sphere of life through steps such as drones for farmers, Vande Bharat Trains, digital currency, 5 G services, national digital health ecosystem will hugely benefit our youth, middle class, poor, Dalit and backward classes."  ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20530/futuristic-budget-with-scientific-vision-and-startup-incentives-dr-jitendra-singh.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20530/futuristic-budget-with-scientific-vision-and-startup-incentives-dr-jitendra-singh.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "If one was to explain the General Budget 2022-23 in a single sentence, it would be appropriate to say that this is a 'Futuristic Budget with scientific vision and Start-Up incentives'. The hallmark of the budget is that nearly every announcement or initiative reflected in the budget has a strong bearing on scientific technology and innovation.  The future roadmap for the coming years also reflects in some of the StartUp initiatives announced by the Finance Minister. These, for example, include exemption of tax for StartUps for another one year i.e. upto 2024. The budget allocated for Ministry of Science & Technology is Rs 6,000 crore, out of which the Department of Biotechnology gets Rs 2,581 crore and this is the Department, which has been conducting trials on DNA Vaccine earlier and now on the Nasal Vaccine." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20531/a-positive-step-towards-boosting-the-life-sciences-sector-kpmg.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20531/a-positive-step-towards-boosting-the-life-sciences-sector-kpmg.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “The budget reflects a new India moving towards greater mental health initiatives and increasing digitalization for life sciences as sector. The budget highlights the importance of a strong healthcare infrastructure backed by digital investments for long-term benefits in democratizing the healthcare industry. In one year, with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas we have been able to vaccinate majority our population, despite holding the second largest population in the world. A PLI scheme has also been introduced in the healthcare sector to reduce dependency on imports. The 35% on-year increase in budgetary support to capital expenditure to 7.5 lakh crore can boost spending on construction of hospitals and healthcare facilities, production of equipment, medical machinery as well as ICT equipment which can foster developments and further strengthen the healthcare sector.  With an allocation of INR 60,000 crore to the ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal’ program to cover 3.8 crore households in 2022-23, we could expect an overall upgrade in water quality, resulting in better living conditions to drive buoyancy in the Indian economy. Overall, the sector seems poised for a fundamental shift with the implementation of National Digital Health Ecosystem, National Tele Mental Health Program, Continuation of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas’, PLI Schemes and Jal Jeevan Mission.  The direction that the government has taken is a positive step towards boosting the life sciences sector.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20532/policy-consistency-is-maintained-indian-pharmaceutical-alliance.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20532/policy-consistency-is-maintained-indian-pharmaceutical-alliance.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "This is India's first post vaccination budget and the policy consistency is maintained. The planned increase in capital expenditure is likely to boost economic growth and employment. There is a thrust on macro areas like digital, VC-ecosystem, ease of doing business and supportive measures for R&D and industry-academia collaboration with Pharma included in the Sunrise sectors. The extension time limit for the commencement of business to claim benefits of concessional tax regime for manufacturing companies has been extended by a year to 31 March 2024. This will support the investment in pharma manufacturing. Details are being examined and the implementation will be key going forward." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/news/87/20533/abolish-health-cess-ad-valorem-on-medical-devices-edwards-lifesciences.html https://biospectrumindia.com/news/87/20533/abolish-health-cess-ad-valorem-on-medical-devices-edwards-lifesciences.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "On Government Public procurement side, we see adoption of Transparent Quality criteria, 75 % of mandatory payments of running bills, usage of surety bonds instead of bank guarantee and usage of e-bills. We Sincerely hope the same policy will be extended to procurement of medical technologies as well – which will lead to much needed value- based- procurement in health care – which will further improve patient outcome and help achieving ease of doing business. Moreover, we see efforts for adoption of Circular Economy with active public policies on regulation – may help Tier 2 and Tier 3 citi’s aspirational hospitals to get refurbished medical devices. On the direct taxation and duties, we see that while the duties and cess is reduced for some devices, but the same is enhanced for Dialyzers and X-rays and hearing devices. We request the same can reconsidered, considering patient affordability. We also look forward for the abolishing of Health Cess Ad Valorem on Medical Devices for all devices for increasing affordability especially when 86 % devices are imported.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20534/keenly-anticipate-an-equal-impetus-on-innovation-and-rd-novartis-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20534/keenly-anticipate-an-equal-impetus-on-innovation-and-rd-novartis-india.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “The Union Budget as laid out by FM Nirmala Sitharaman highlights the Government's nuanced approach towards strengthening the country's response to public health crises. We believe that the most effective way to provide access to healthcare delivery to a large footprint of our population is accelerated digital technology. We laud the thrust on digital health mission and various digital-first initiatives as we believe that these will help us leapfrog in providing access to healthcare to many more patients in India. While the budget is in line to support the growth and recovery of the Indian economy while keeping the overall policy stability and fiscal discipline, we keenly anticipate an equal impetus on innovation and R&D. We all witnessed the acceleration in pharmaceutical innovation over the course of the pandemic. Policies attracting future investments in R&D and retaining world-class talent in the country is critical to make India aatmanirbhar.”   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20535/encouraged-by-national-digital-health-ecosystem-platform-roll-out-announcement-bharat-serums-and-vaccines.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20535/encouraged-by-national-digital-health-ecosystem-platform-roll-out-announcement-bharat-serums-and-vaccines.html Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “We are encouraged by the recently announced roll out of the open National Digital Health Ecosystem platform that will further augment our country’s digital healthcare journey and create positive patient outcomes with digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity, consent framework and universal access to health facilities.  As the country moves towards good health and economic well-being, it is critical to continue to innovate in India and the rest of the world.  Today, the booming biotech innovation across the globe along with the accelerated adoption of digital technologies has redefined the contours of healthcare management.  To build and grow the research-driven biopharmaceutical industry in India we continue to seek an enabling, supportive regulatory and policy framework that encourages and promotes research in order to bring positive patient outcomes.  Further the Union Budget 2022 outlines ‘Genomics and Pharmaceuticals’ as the sunrise opportunities eligible for a supportive framework to build domestic capacities and promote Research & Development.  This is encouraging as we collectively work towards building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and an ‘Amrit Kal’ for every citizen of the country.”   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20518/a-dedicated-budget-should-be-allocated-to-create-sufficient-manpower-fortis-hospitals-mumbai.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20518/a-dedicated-budget-should-be-allocated-to-create-sufficient-manpower-fortis-hospitals-mumbai.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 19:00:00 +0530 We need to pave the way for more Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP). There has been a growing concern for healthcare infrastructure in India which can be addressed with increased budgets in R&D, medical equipment procurement, development of more hospitals, and improving the overall infrastructure. In India there is a lack of a skilled healthcare workforce, a dedicated budget should be allocated to address the need to create sufficient manpower and for skill development of paramedical staff, nurses, etc. Focusing on healthcare and meeting these needs will help us prepare for years to come.   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20517/we-expect-investment-in-preventive-healthcare-vlcc-health-care.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20517/we-expect-investment-in-preventive-healthcare-vlcc-health-care.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 18:55:00 +0530 Investment in preventive healthcare will help increase the longevity and overall productivity of people. Preventive healthcare check-ups could be made mandatory and diseases could be treated with subsidised medicines and access to better health enhancement services such as wellness clinics, dietary consultations and sports activities, etc. The spending on preventive healthcare activities should be considered for tax exemption up to a limit in addition to mediclaim insurance which is covered for curative measures. Also like curative service providers are provided exemptions from GST, we could also include this to preventive healthcare services providers like wellness clinics and obesity management services to make it more accessible.   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20516/the-budget-should-focus-on-up-skilling-of-the-youth-jindal-naturecure-institute.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20516/the-budget-should-focus-on-up-skilling-of-the-youth-jindal-naturecure-institute.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 18:50:00 +0530 An allocation only for strengthening communicable disease surveillance is a sub-optimal solution. The budget for up-skilling of the youth to become preventive health coaches is also required since this will address the problem of unemployment. We need to consider coming out of this pandemic as a healthier and fitter country. Standardising naturopathy practice is critical as it will enable us to lay down strict standards that have to be adhered to by all naturopaths and conducting mass awareness campaigns to educate the masses is the right way forward. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20514/the-govt-must-invest-enough-into-genetic-vaccine-and-immunisation-research-vision-eye-centre.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20514/the-govt-must-invest-enough-into-genetic-vaccine-and-immunisation-research-vision-eye-centre.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:55:00 +0530     The government must raise the healthcare budget considerably at least to the extent that the entire health machinery including our public health systems is prepared to deal with emergency health situations such as the ongoing pandemic efficiently and without much damage to people’s health. The government must invest enough through this budget into genetic research, vaccine and immunisation research apart from other avenues of research including epidemiology and biotechnology. Thirdly, the private sector whether it is the healthcare providers or the pharma sector must be given policy and economic support in the form of a tax rebate, easy loans, utility payment relaxations and exemptions. Fourthly, there is a need to bridge the urban-rural and big town-small town gap in terms of availability of health infrastructure, equipment and personnel. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20513/increasing-budget-allocation-for-nmhp-is-the-need-of-the-hour-poddar-foundation.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20513/increasing-budget-allocation-for-nmhp-is-the-need-of-the-hour-poddar-foundation.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:50:00 +0530 While increasing the budget allocation for National Mental Health Program (NMHP) is the need of the hour, other overlapping and related sectors such as social welfare schemes (example - NREGA, one-stop centres for survivors of Domestic Violence, scheme for the welfare of persons with disabilities) also require additional funding. The government must set up counselling centres, drive aggressive promotional health campaigns encouraging people to consult with psychologists and psychiatrists as well as invest in community health physicians and public health professionals to strengthen mental health epidemiology and engagement in preventive care.  ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20512/there-should-be-a-special-focus-on-increasing-health-expenditure-substantially-nhs-hospital-jalandhar-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20512/there-should-be-a-special-focus-on-increasing-health-expenditure-substantially-nhs-hospital-jalandhar-.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:45:00 +0530 Dr Shubhang Aggarwal, Director, NHS Hospital, Jalandhar    We are expecting that the upcoming budget will have a special focus on increasing the healthcare expenditure substantially more than 2.5 per cent of GDP and extending the National Health Protection Scheme for all when the cases of COVID are again on the rise. The Ayushmann scheme is becoming a success but the rates need to be rationalised so more private hospitals adopt it, even if it is under their CSR activities. There is an urgent need to improve healthcare funding through subsidised loans and allocating land for new hospitals especially in tier II and tier III cities where quality healthcare is still a challenge.    ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20510/expecting-increase-in-healthcare-budget-and-various-healthcare-provisions-ujala-cygnus.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20510/expecting-increase-in-healthcare-budget-and-various-healthcare-provisions-ujala-cygnus.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 15:35:00 +0530 "I hope there will be an increase in the healthcare budget and various healthcare provisions so that the expenditure spent on health should go up to 3 per cent of the GDP as promised by the government." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20504/the-budget-need-to-focus-on-infrastructure-and-investment-lupin-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20504/the-budget-need-to-focus-on-infrastructure-and-investment-lupin-.html Mon, 31 Jan 2022 11:45:00 +0530 "The Union Budget will have to focus on the two I’s: infrastructure and investment – private and public – that will generate growth and jobs. Measures supporting both these areas will have to be sustainable over years and need a third I: incentives that are appropriate and go beyond tax breaks." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20496/the-government-is-required-to-stimulate-growth-lincoln-pharmaceuticals-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20496/the-government-is-required-to-stimulate-growth-lincoln-pharmaceuticals-.html Fri, 28 Jan 2022 17:10:00 +0530 The government is required to stimulate growth and boost investment with confidence from both the public and private sectors. Special emphasis is required for job creation, lifting consumption and sentiments and building infrastructure in priority sectors - education, health, rural and MSME. The healthcare sector will look for higher allocation towards production Linked Incentive schemes to encourage capacity expansion of sensitive APIs, complex excipients, drug intermediates etc. It is need of the hour for the government to increase the allocation towards health infrastructure across the entire infrastructure chain, specifically in tier II and tier III cities and immunisation. Higher allocation to the sector is also necessary to enable the government to achieve its target to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on healthcare by 2025. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20486/it-is-important-to-create-an-environment-to-promote-and-support-new-age-healthcare-start-ups-pristyn-care.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20486/it-is-important-to-create-an-environment-to-promote-and-support-new-age-healthcare-start-ups-pristyn-care.html Fri, 28 Jan 2022 15:40:00 +0530 The Government of India has often referred to the role of technology in addressing the critical gaps in healthcare delivery. Healthcare in India is undergoing a digital revolution, also reiterated by the government’s recent initiative to bring out the National Health Digital Blueprint (NDHB). While much is being said about increasing the healthcare outlay and strengthening infrastructure, it is important to create an environment to promote and support new-age healthcare start-ups, which could bring in innovative ideas to bring more people under diagnosis, treatment and increase the current coverage to tier-II and tier-III cities and towns, and even beyond to provide advanced healthcare facilities. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20477/a-zero-rating-gst-on-health-services-is-required-to-minimise-costs-for-providers-indus-health-plus.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20477/a-zero-rating-gst-on-health-services-is-required-to-minimise-costs-for-providers-indus-health-plus.html Fri, 28 Jan 2022 13:45:00 +0530 An approach to integrate technologies to make healthcare more accessible should be the top priority for the sector. And hence, we will see a rise in investment in this domain. We may see a special budget allocation for preventive healthcare, and we recommend including a separate tax exemption element in 80D with a limit of Rs 30,000 per person annually for preventive health checkups including genetic testing for self and family. This will encourage people to go for regular health screening and help us make India a ‘Healthy India’. In addition, special tax incentives for preventative healthcare should be provided to organisations and institutions on a per-employee basis, incentivising them to invest in their employees’ health and well-being. Furthermore, a zero-rating GST on healthcare services is required to minimise costs for healthcare providers. As a result, the benefit will be passed on to the end consumers, lowering the overall cost of medical treatment. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20465/thirst-should-be-on-building-infra-in-b-and-c-grade-towns-with-special-funding-initiatives-zen-multispecialty-hospital.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20465/thirst-should-be-on-building-infra-in-b-and-c-grade-towns-with-special-funding-initiatives-zen-multispecialty-hospital.html Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:15:00 +0530 Many telehealth platforms have come up during the pandemic that offers primary healthcare at home. Telehealth is a viable option. Another important component is health insurance. There has been a high level of awareness regarding health insurance. Thus, this year’s health budget should include this factor too. There should be certain guidelines for aggregator platforms that have been operating during the pandemic to ensure smooth functioning. The budget should also concentrate on the mental health of the paramedic staff. Certain provisions should be made for the economically lower class to seek affordable treatment. Thirst should be on building infrastructure in B and C grade towns with special funding initiatives, higher depreciation outside metros and low-cost funding to hospitals with more than 100 beds. Special incentives and funding should be done to set up oxygen generation plants. CSR initiatives should be encouraged to fund vaccination. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20464/there-should-be-some-steps-taken-with-regards-to-the-telehealth-sector-pyramed.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20464/there-should-be-some-steps-taken-with-regards-to-the-telehealth-sector-pyramed.html Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:10:00 +0530 "Digitisation of health records will help in better data availability, tracking the disease, and formulating treatment strategies. Quality data collected can help patients maintain a robust history of ailments, which can save time and energy when they are referred to tertiary (speciality) hospitals. Telehealth is a boon, and we need to work on making it available to each one. There should be some steps taken with regards to the telehealth sector which is experiencing a boom during these unprecedented times. Telehealth can be a game-changer for Indian healthcare and usher us towards our goal of ‘Health for all’ at a much faster pace." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20458/it-would-be-important-to-incentivise-investments-in-rd-for-india-boehringer-ingelheim-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20458/it-would-be-important-to-incentivise-investments-in-rd-for-india-boehringer-ingelheim-india.html Tue, 25 Jan 2022 17:40:00 +0530 "The increased allocation of funds in last year’s budget alongside the recent commitment of Rs 64,000 crores towards healthcare over the next five years is a testament to the government’s focus on strengthening the health infrastructure in the country. I expect this will be reflected in the upcoming budget as well. What will be critical to ensure is not only increased expenditure towards healthcare but also a well-planned and balanced allocation coupled with a strong execution roadmap that addresses areas beyond COVID-19 to secure long-term sustainable impact. Specifically, the burden on the healthcare infrastructure caused by the increasing burden of NCDs should continue to be considered. It would also be important to incentivise investments in R&D for India to become an attractive innovation hub and maximize access to innovation for patients in India."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20450/the-govt-needs-to-expedite-the-implementation-of-ongoing-programmes-and-increase-investments-kpmg-in-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20450/the-govt-needs-to-expedite-the-implementation-of-ongoing-programmes-and-increase-investments-kpmg-in-india.html Tue, 25 Jan 2022 09:40:00 +0530 "The government should undertake both health infrastructure strengthening at mission mode approach and implement robust surveillance mechanisms to fight a future pandemic. Going forward, with the entrant of the third wave, the government needs to expedite the implementation of ongoing programmes and increase the investments by focusing on the following key areas in the Union Budget 2022-2023:    Top asks for the Indian healthcare Sector could be: Increase the public health spending this year by a minimum of 33 per cent in the existing schemes to achieve the targeted 2.5-3.0 per cent of GDP by 2024-25. Healthcare Coverage for Every Citizen under the AB-PMJAY scheme to ensure approximately 40 crores uncovered population have some financial protection for health.  Inputs procured by the healthcare establishments in the form of goods, services and capital goods bear a GST duty burden, but these embedded taxes could not be set off against the output tax liability establishing a need for rationalising the GST in the healthcare sector Increase health checkup deduction in income tax deduction to Rs 25,000 for a family to encourage citizens towards preventive health checkups Tax relief by extending 100 per cent tax deduction assistance on capital expenditure under Section 35AD to 50 bedded hospitals from the existing limit of 100 beds to promote the creation of healthcare infrastructure in Tier II and III cities.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20445/the-budget-should-introduce-a-higher-provision-for-tax-deduction-under-section-80d-asia-healthcare-holdings.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20445/the-budget-should-introduce-a-higher-provision-for-tax-deduction-under-section-80d-asia-healthcare-holdings.html Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:45:00 +0530 "Budget 2022 must remain focused on increased allocation to the healthcare sector and fast track the bridging of the gap. Public healthcare spending on healthcare needs urgent reform and a clear allocation of 2.5 per cent of GDP in real terms and not under consolidation of allocations to various schemes and depts related to health and sanitation. The government’s push for financing healthcare infrastructure development can also be aided through the issuance of GOI-backed healthcare bonds. Reinstatement of the weighted deduction for R&D expenditure to encourage innovation of new products and technologies, particularly in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry should become the need of the hour for the country. The government should also look at accelerating rural internet connectivity to support education and healthcare services. The Union Budget 2022 should also introduce a higher provision for tax deduction under section 80D." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20444/more-funding-is-required-to-ensure-long-term-success-ficci-health-services-committee.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20444/more-funding-is-required-to-ensure-long-term-success-ficci-health-services-committee.html Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:30:00 +0530 "The Centre’s Budgetary allocation to the healthcare sector should be increased to at least 2.5 per cent of the GDP to bridge several gaps that currently exist in the system. This year’s budget should focus on encouraging these solutions by way of tax benefits/ tax holidays and even establishing a healthcare innovation fund. Ayushman Bharat is undeniably a positive step toward achieving the goal of universal healthcare; however, more funding is required to ensure its long-term success. Healthcare funding through subsidised loans especially in Tier II & III cities need to be provided for as this shall help to reactivate the healthcare infrastructure sector which will further boost other supporting industries. Government must accord due importance to operational viability gap funding, over and above the capital VGF. Reduction in GST and import duties is top on the agenda and the government must explore to simplify the FDI in the healthcare sector."    ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20442/effective-ppp-model-should-be-proposed-to-ensure-cost-efficient-operations-be-well-hospitals-chennai.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20442/effective-ppp-model-should-be-proposed-to-ensure-cost-efficient-operations-be-well-hospitals-chennai.html Mon, 24 Jan 2022 14:10:00 +0530 "An effective public-private partnership (PPP) model should be proposed to ensure cost-efficient operations are conducted. Additionally, the capital expenditure incurred on eligible healthcare projects in semi-urban and rural areas should be reduced for ventures with a minimum of 50 beds. This will help in reaching rural, semi-urban, peri-urban and suburban regions of the state by having a distributed healthcare delivery model rather than crowding in cities whilst providing quality healthcare services in the above-said regions. Considering the shortage of medical manpower in the country, a weighted deduction of expenses incurred on skill development in the healthcare sector must be offered. Input credit on various services availed is currently very high resulting in a high cost of treatment which is borne by the patient. GST on a rental property is not eligible for input credit making it a cost for the hospital. Alternatively, hospitals should also be given the ability to claim the refund of input credits, similar to the benefits availed by export-oriented units and SEZs. This will help in reducing the cost of rendering services to patients."    ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20441/we-are-expecting-to-see-rise-in-fund-allocation-of-2-5-to-3-of-gdp-in-healthcare-medibuddy.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20441/we-are-expecting-to-see-rise-in-fund-allocation-of-2-5-to-3-of-gdp-in-healthcare-medibuddy.html Mon, 24 Jan 2022 14:05:00 +0530 "With the insistent surge in COVID-19 cases, the budget must focus on strengthening the medical infrastructure uniformly. It should allocate some funds to develop the telemedicine industry to strategically bridge the disparity and to ensure that accessibility of quality healthcare services increases. Persistent problems that have been a hiccup for several years in the industry could be solved with the help of telemedicine, which holds the potential to solve them with ease. There should also be an emphasis on R&D in various medical fields to strengthen the current standing. Overall, we are expecting to see a rise in fund allocation of 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent of the GDP with regards to the healthcare sector."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20439/the-diagnostic-industry-and-government-need-to-work-together-to-create-reimbursement-policies-roche-diagnostics.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20439/the-diagnostic-industry-and-government-need-to-work-together-to-create-reimbursement-policies-roche-diagnostics.html Mon, 24 Jan 2022 13:05:00 +0530 "The government must focus on incentivising preventive care – which includes screening for NCDs and personalised medicine. The diagnostic industry and government need to work together to create reimbursement policies and payment methods based on the value that diagnostics offer, and not just the volume of tests run. The government and diagnostics ecosystem needs to work together to move towards ‘Health for All’  to ensure the availability of diagnostic tests at public health facilities to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure incurred by patients." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20431/we-expect-the-government-to-considerately-reduce-taxes-imposed-on-medical-equipment-athulya-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20431/we-expect-the-government-to-considerately-reduce-taxes-imposed-on-medical-equipment-athulya-.html Fri, 21 Jan 2022 17:55:00 +0530 Initiatives to motivate youngsters to take up a career in the healthcare industry and to include continuous development programs in their curriculum to enhance their skills will address the current demand for healthcare professionals. We would expect the government to considerately reduce the taxes imposed on medical equipment that are very essential, which will result in bringing down the overall medical expenses for an individual with ailments and comorbidities. To increase the tax benefits against the medical expenses and to revise the existing deduction for senior citizens as the cost of living has increased. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20427/we-are-looking-forward-to-emphasis-on-rd-and-innovation-in-health-tech-ge-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20427/we-are-looking-forward-to-emphasis-on-rd-and-innovation-in-health-tech-ge-healthcare.html Fri, 21 Jan 2022 15:40:00 +0530 "We are looking forward to a larger emphasis from the government on R&D and innovation in healthcare tech, which will further provide impetus to the Make in India initiative. We are expecting the 2022-23 Union Budget to also focus on investments in digital tools to support patient care and hospital workflow. To provide a fillip to the MedTech sector in 2022, waiving off the duty and CESS, and releasing sectoral payment dues will free-up  the working capital for investments in  inventory  of critical spare and lifesaving equipment." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20426/gst-must-be-reduced-significantly-across-all-products-and-services-medica-superspeciality-hospital.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20426/gst-must-be-reduced-significantly-across-all-products-and-services-medica-superspeciality-hospital.html Fri, 21 Jan 2022 15:15:00 +0530 "Budget 2022-23 needs to address the low per capita spend ($3) on indigenous medical devices since there is a significant dearth in indigenous manufacturing, and imports constitute over a significant percentage of the high-end medical device market. A tax break for 10 years for setting up facilities in upcoming economic zones, MedTech Parks and MedTech Manufacturing facilities is one of the primary needs. The government should also look at an increase in customs duty of finished medical equipment/devices and a subsequent reduction in customs duty for components and SKD imports to promote ‘Make in India’. Reintroducing tax holidays for rural hospitals with the flexibility to select beneficial years and viability gap funding by the government will incentivise private healthcare infrastructure creation in Tier III & IV towns. GST must be reduced significantly across all products and services, to spur consumer spending. We expect the government to look at increasing the healthcare expenditure above 2.5 per cent of the GDP. We are expecting an announcement of a 10-12 per cent rise in healthcare expenditure which will enable the much-needed attention that healthcare requires now. Healthcare services must be brought under the GST regime with a 1 per cent levy so that they can avail the input credit available."  ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20423/we-hope-the-government-to-dedicate-a-chunk-of-its-budget-to-improve-healthcare-even-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20423/we-hope-the-government-to-dedicate-a-chunk-of-its-budget-to-improve-healthcare-even-healthcare.html Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:40:00 +0530 "We expect and hope the government to dedicate a chunk of its budget to improve healthcare not just by allocating more financial resources directly to hospitals and facilities, but also appending medical data that is extremely fragmented compared to developed countries. We have high hopes from the National Digital Health Mission and how it would improve clinical outcomes when a patient’s entire history is accessible digitally without relying on the patient’s own paperwork and memory. It would be interesting to see how the government brings unique healthcare financing models to cover more people than before."   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20428/we-look-forward-to-low-gst-bracket-on-immunity-boosting-products-fastup-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20428/we-look-forward-to-low-gst-bracket-on-immunity-boosting-products-fastup-.html Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "The funds issued by the government in last year’s Union Budget saw an increased spending on healthcare by 137% with allocation to the healthcare sector at Rs 2.23 lakh crore through the PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana.  This year too, we expect a substantial increase in this percentage for the healthcare sector as this will have an overall impact on the economy. We look forward to reduced GST on homegrown healthcare products and companies by keeping a low GST bracket on immunity-boosting products.   There should be economic incentives in the form of endowment funds and providing tax relief. Overall, we hope that the spends on the healthcare sector go up to more than 2.5%-3% of the GDP.  Given the crisis India faced during the second wave of COVID-19, an increased spend on the healthcare sector will come as a huge sigh of relief.   While India’s vaccination drive has been truly commendable, the focus has shifted back to the Omicron variant which is rapidly spreading. Given the quick spread of these infectious diseases, the government’s allocation to the healthcare sector must include budgets for genetic research, vaccine and immunization research."  ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20429/efforts-need-to-be-taken-to-support-and-mentor-entrepreneurs-chicnutrix-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20429/efforts-need-to-be-taken-to-support-and-mentor-entrepreneurs-chicnutrix-.html Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “The make in India or Be India Buy Indian should be the key focus. India has emerged as a land of opportunities where we are constantly witnessing a lot of startups flourishing. Quite a few successful startups have been spearheaded by women. There is still a gap of financial support and literacy that becomes an obstacle. Efforts need to be taken to support and mentor these entrepreneurs. Investing in home-grown startups and brands will make them more independent. Also, consumption of Indian products will boost the economy and make the grass greener. Investors and government bodies should allocate funding that supports sustainable businesses. With health and wellness taking centre stage, there should be a relaxation of taxes on essential wellness products. Encouragement to use wellness and nutrition products will boost the demand which is another factor leading to the growth of startups.”   ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20415/special-schemes-should-be-provided-for-formal-training-of-doctors-and-nurses-gleneagles-global-health-city.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20415/special-schemes-should-be-provided-for-formal-training-of-doctors-and-nurses-gleneagles-global-health-city.html Thu, 20 Jan 2022 17:55:00 +0530 "We urge the government to give adequate importance to the healthcare sector in the upcoming Union Budget 2022 by considering –  Special schemes should be provided for formal training of doctors and nurses to enhance skills and bandwidth to offer care to a larger population will help strengthen the quality of healthcare resources in the longer run Building capacity for intensive care by enhancing the skills of nurses and by providing better equipment and infrastructure Significance to be given to appropriate screening for non-communicable diseases to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment which will help in the reduction of hospitalisation in the last minute Upgrading infrastructure at Primary Health Care level for early Outpatient treatment thus reducing hospitalisation time and cost Benefits to be given to manufacturers of healthcare equipment and consumables under the ‘Make in India’ campaign for high-quality products and healthcare equipment to be manufactured at reasonable costs Healthcare organisations must be given access to working capital and preferential funding to ensure that the overall cost of operations is reduced The healthcare sector needs to be considered as a priority and an essential service. Various subsidies and benefits should be given on land rates and other necessities such as electricity, as it will pave for accessible and affordable healthcare with better infrastructure and high-quality treatment improving access to care and better patient outcomes." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20413/tax-incentives-should-be-provided-for-investment-in-rd-aster-dm-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20413/tax-incentives-should-be-provided-for-investment-in-rd-aster-dm-healthcare.html Thu, 20 Jan 2022 17:25:00 +0530 "The budget should incentivise the private sector to improve medical facilities in Tier II and III cities and rural areas to bridge the healthcare urban-rural divide. The government should roll out programmes to train new and up-skill the existing manpower to address the shortage of skilled manpower in the healthcare sector. The government should also consider “zero-rating” of GST on healthcare services and the lowest rate of GST on drugs, medical devices, and health insurance premiums to improve affordability. Rationalising the import duty on healthcare equipment is also required. Tax incentives should be provided for investment in R&D for genetic research and genome mapping which can go a long way in supporting the National Digital Health Mission in the early identification of genetic traits and intervention in the prevention of major NCDs. Last but not the least, the government should increase budgetary allocation for the promotion of digital healthcare to improve access in rural and remote areas. This will not only reduce the burden on our limited healthcare facilities, but also the cost burden on the patients." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20417/there-should-be-tax-reduction-on-any-form-of-treatment-related-to-coronavirus-ihw-council.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20417/there-should-be-tax-reduction-on-any-form-of-treatment-related-to-coronavirus-ihw-council.html Thu, 20 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “Amid the Omicron variant that has ushered in a new and disorienting phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the countdown for the Union Budget 2022 has begun. Last year, the Government of India rolled out a slew of people-friendly packages at the height of this pandemic which boosted the economy in an unprecedented manner. This year, too, we all look forward to a budget that will ensure social health protection to the needy and disadvantaged. First and foremost, there should be a tax reduction on any form of treatment related to the Coronavirus. Ever since the pandemic struck us, both the Government of India and state governments have provided financial assistance to the infected people and their families. However, it has been seen that many people have been deprived of it. So, providing tax relief for such financial expenses will help all and sundry, especially to the poor citizens. A complete tax relief and an extension of it will also immensely benefit two groups of people. One, the middle-class taxpayers. Two, people who still don’t have medical insurance. While the Section 80D currently allows a deduction of medical expenditure only for senior citizens, the same should be provided to people irrespective of age. Secondly, including all life-saving drugs in the generic category is a must. For instance, every year millions of Indians are diagnosed with different types of cancer. Given the high cost of the life-saving cancer drugs, many patients are financially stretched to the limit while paying out of their own pockets. Therefore, reduction of GST on these drugs are essential. Thirdly, and most importantly, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinstated the importance of having basic healthcare across the country, especially in the rural set-ups. In India, over 75% of the healthcare infrastructure is concentrated in urban areas and there is a serious degradation in the quality or infrastructure in the rural areas. In fact, tens of thousands of patients in the rural areas are still in the hands of quacks and unscientific medical practices. The villagers travel a long distance to the nearest hospital in case ofemergencies and the only viable transportation is private transport which many cannot afford because of their financial condition. Therefore, there is a growing need to create and deploy innovative technologies to ensure last-mile delivery of basic healthcare services, even in the hinterlands.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20418/expecting-more-funds-for-preventive-health-and-wellness-segment-medall-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20418/expecting-more-funds-for-preventive-health-and-wellness-segment-medall-healthcare.html Thu, 20 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “The union budget of 2022-23 is more significant than ever before in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic's third wave. While the private sector has been on overdrive for offering diagnostic and preventive healthcare services, the expectation is that the Government allocates more funds for the preventive health and wellness segment. We are looking forward to the government increasing its share of public expenditure on healthcare to effectively combat the pandemic and its variants. The need of the hour is prevention. Early screening and prevention of ailments that can cause COVID-19 are of prime importance. Moreover, providing health insurance at subsidised premiums will go a long way in the large embracing of policies to shield them in the event of any sudden misfortune. The government should make it mandatory for the functioning of primary health care centres in rural, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities with sufficient allocation of funds to enable them to function smoothly. More importantly, sprucing such centres with the latest diagnostic equipment is important. Encouraging public-private partnership in the healthcare segment with subsidies and sops will put access to healthcare especially in rural, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities within reach of the common man. The government can consider reintroducing tax holidays for investments in infrastructure in rural areas. Also, the government needs to significantly increase investments in funding researches on infectious diseases and strengthen the capabilities of institutions to be well prepared in handling situations that we are currently experiencing. Presently health services are exempt from GST due to which the industry is unable to avail input credit on purchases and credit. Last but not least import duties and processes on diagnostic equipment should be eased to enable smooth imports and make diagnostic services more affordable for the common man”. ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20419/expecting-200-weighted-tax-deduction-on-expenditure-made-on-rd-of-medical-devices-transasia-erba-group.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20419/expecting-200-weighted-tax-deduction-on-expenditure-made-on-rd-of-medical-devices-transasia-erba-group.html Thu, 20 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "2022 will see an increasing number of labs being equipped to do more in less time. The focus will be on digitization and lab automation to create an ecosystem where patient data can transit seamlessly between pathologists and specialists. The industry looks forward to crucial government support that is needed to help this industry grow for the Atma Nirbhar Bharat. The government also needs to follow the WHO recommendation for making essential diagnostics available free of cost to everyone in the country. While technology is expected to continue to make in-roads, I reiterate that affordability and accessibility of healthcare need to take centre-stage. I am hoping that a major focus in the Union Budget 2022 will be given to the diagnostic industry, as it is the starting point to building a Healthy and Happy India. As per WHO, over 70% of treatment decisions depend on diagnostic tests. While Make in India continues to remain the central focus for the government, as an Indian manufacturer, we wish there would have been some more efforts on encouraging Make in India and reducing the dependency on imports. Make in India is the only way to make healthcare more affordable in India. However, at present there is very little incentive for a medical devices company to change from importing and begin Make in India. As an industry body member, I expect the following from the Union Budget 2022, to encourage Make in India:  Why India should support development of Diagnostic industry?: As the COVID pandemic has shown, diagnostic tests are absolutely essential for preventing spread of every disease. We all know that not only prevention is better than cure but prevention costs just 2% of what it costs to cure. Hence it is essential that a developing country like India should spend more money on prevention of disease than on curing it. High import dependency: Presently, India has a high medical device import dependency of 86% as per Pharma Bureau and NITI Aayog report. Hence it is absolutely essential for India to ensure faster Make in India initiatives and achieve at least 50% local production. High GST of 18% on diagnostic equipment: It is unbelievable that the Government is charging the same high GST rate of 18% even on essential diagnostic equipment as it does on non-essential and luxury products. We have been demanding reduction in the GST rate on medical supplies, diagnostic equipment, and devices from the current 18 percent to 5 percent. This would help in making affordable healthcare a reality. Reality is that introduction of GST has worked against Make in India. The implementation of GST has led to imported devices being cheaper by 11%. In addition, there being no import duty on blood analyzers, makes it difficult for the Indian manufacturers to compete with the cheaper imports. The interests of the domestic manufacturers need to be protected through a revision in the GST regime so that not everyone gets the benefit of input credit. Providing free healthcare to every citizen of India is the Government’s constitutional responsibility. It needs to focus on reducing the medical expenditure burden on general public, which currently bears almost 70 percent of all medical expenditure. While the government has exempted the healthcare services from GST, the taxation on the medical supplies and devices, ultimately is a hindrance in bringing down the cost of treatment. The common man can get some relief from this burden by a reduction in the GST rate on medical supplies, diagnostic equipment and devices. The GST rate, which currently stands at 18 percent, should be no more than 5 percent.    Inverted import duty structure: Even now, the import duty on several raw materials is higher than that on finished products. In fact, India's import duty is the lowest among BRIC countries, at zero to 7.5 percent - making it cheaper to import devices rather than encouraging home grown, cutting edge technology Indian devices. This should be raised to 15-20 per cent, as a lower import duty dissuades manufacturers from producing them in India. To reduce the dependency on imports, we expected the Government to provide reasonable tariff protection for enabling Make in India. Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme:  At present the PLI rate for diagnostic products is just 3-5%. For Make in India to succeed this rate needs to be increased to at least 15%. This will make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investment in the areas of core competency and cutting-edge technology; ensure efficiencies; create economies of scale; enhance exports. R&D: Today medical technology is developing very fast. To keep up with the changing technology, Indian manufacturers need to build R&D infrastructure which needs huge amount of investment in R&D. To encourage R&D in India, we expect the Government to provide 200% weighted tax deduction on expenditure made on R&D of medical devices. Encouraging exports: Introduction of export incentives would lead to further encouraging this growth engine for the economy and help India become a global leader in medical devices. The above changes can fulfill the Government’s commitment to an affordable healthcare system for all." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20401/we-would-highly-welcome-any-measures-to-boost-private-sector-rd-in-the-biotechnology-segment-bione.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20401/we-would-highly-welcome-any-measures-to-boost-private-sector-rd-in-the-biotechnology-segment-bione.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 18:50:00 +0530 "Thanks to the innovation and quick response by the biotech industry during the pandemic, India’s biotech sector got some attention in the 2021 union budget. The finance minister spoke about the need for preventive and curative health and there was a 137 per cent hike in the government outlay on health and well-being.    In the 2022 budget, we feel that the government should move positively to recognise the important role genetic testing including DTC Genetic testing can play in preventive healthcare. We would highly welcome any measures to boost private-sector R&D in the biotechnology segment in the manner it rightly deserves. This will go a long way towards making quality preventive healthcare affordable." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20397/strong-investments-in-healthcare-can-help-buoy-the-nations-economy-metropolis-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20397/strong-investments-in-healthcare-can-help-buoy-the-nations-economy-metropolis-healthcare.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:25:00 +0530 “While we still battle the mutations to the COVID-19, I believe that the upcoming budget might comprehensively cater to the healthcare sector. R&D in India and around the world has been ever developing solutions to address the existing issues and has been preparing for the anticipated ones. The technological intervention has increased the digital and home-based healthcare ecosystem ensuring a reliable healthcare solution for the nation. However, training and medical infrastructure need to be nurtured. The Centre's current expenditure on healthcare is estimated at 1.2 per cent of the GDP (as per National Health Accounts, 2016-17) and is envisioned to touch 2.5 per cent by 2025. And I believe that strong investments in healthcare can help buoy the nation's economy.”  ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20388/expect-more-funding-to-boost-the-development-of-the-digital-health-sector-lifeline-laboratory.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20388/expect-more-funding-to-boost-the-development-of-the-digital-health-sector-lifeline-laboratory.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 12:55:00 +0530 “To combat the pandemic crisis, increased fund allocation in every aspect of the healthcare sector, a reduction in GST and import duty for critical care equipment and components (86 per cent of which are dependent on imports) as an initiative for government support for the medical devices manufacturing industry, more funding to boost the development of the digital health sector and the production of point-of-care equipment can bring the highest level of quality care to the interiors and remote areas of India. In addition, the establishment of more medical education institutions and imparting of advanced training to enhance the skills of healthcare workers is of considerable significance and the need of the hour." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20386/expecting-special-focus-on-healthcare-to-mitigate-the-devastation-from-the-coronavirus-fujifilm-india.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20386/expecting-special-focus-on-healthcare-to-mitigate-the-devastation-from-the-coronavirus-fujifilm-india.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 “We're looking forward to building and balancing the country's healthcare infrastructure with government's support as we enter the third year of the pandemic. We hope that the budget delivers a special focus on healthcare to mitigate the devastation from the coronavirus. For this, it will be pertinent to have concrete policies that ensure accessible and affordable healthcare. It would be great to see the allocation of funds within the states as per policy. The timeline of fund clearance should be reduced to clear roadblocks due to lack of funds. Once these are in place, we can expect better outcomes out of public-private partnerships in the space and make payment processing easier and quicker. Since healthcare has made significant advances in the light of COVID-19, this year, we would like to bring out a focus on preventive healthcare to fortify the health of the people. With a large population and a diverse requirement for healthcare across situations, we at Fujifilm are gearing up to support India's healthcare/medical needs.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20387/expecting-spend-on-strengthening-our-primary-healthcare-system-manipal-hospitals.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20387/expecting-spend-on-strengthening-our-primary-healthcare-system-manipal-hospitals.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly highlighted the importance of a robust healthcare system in the country and has shown the world that you are only as strong as your healthcare systems. This has made healthcare a priority as was seen in last year's budget, where a lot of emphasis and expenditure was devoted to healthcare. Our expectations for Budget 2022 are: Increased allocation for healthcare since we still have a lot of ground to cover in our expenditure on healthcare Spend on strengthening our primary healthcare system which is the backbone of healthcare in India, public healthcare, preventive healthcare in addition to nutrition in children, and aggressive vaccination campaigns to include Covid-19 vaccination for all We also need to strengthen the public healthcare system by upgrading the infrastructure and personnel at government hospitals Specifically, strengthen pediatric care, and pediatric intensive care, along with setting up of training programs and teams of intensive care doctors in government hospitals including in adult intensive care Invest in more diagnostic labs across the country which was a necessity during the current pandemic Set up more medical colleges especially in underserved areas and upgrade district hospitals to be the teaching hospitals for these colleges Invest in technology to bridge the rural-urban divide in healthcare and make healthcare available for all in the country by expanding our universal healthcare schemes" ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20392/expecting-to-build-on-pli-schemes-entod-pharmaceuticals-.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20392/expecting-to-build-on-pli-schemes-entod-pharmaceuticals-.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "The pharmaceutical and medical devices industry has gained significant momentum owing to the government’s AatmaNirbhar Bharat initiative. The Union Budget 2022 is expected to build on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes and encourage continued investments in capacity expansion of sensitive APIs, drug intermediates, complex excipients, biopharmaceuticals and medical devices. While the draft R&D policy focuses on creating an ecosystem for research and innovation, certain tax incentives for the investment in ‘R&D focused funds’, set up for R&D based activities, could be introduced. India should participate in the innovation area at a global level. Along with a scheme similar to the PLI, the government needs to consider tax incentives to attract innovation. Interaction with industry and global players can help India's pharmaceutical sector to move from a generic manufacturer to an innovator developer and manufacturer for the world. Apart from that, Technology/digital transformation is another key area of focus. In fact, it would be the building block for the much-expected universal healthcare in India. Presently, GST on drugs is taxed under four categories - nil, 5%, 12% and 18%. While a few life-saving drugs are taxed at nil rates, some are taxed at 5 per cent and the majority fall under the 12 per cent GST slab. Extensions of a tax deduction on product development and R&D are some of the other demands of the pharmaceutical sector. The industry also seeks a 150% deduction in tax on in-house R&D.” ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20393/health-sector-is-expecting-help-in-the-growth-of-the-telemedicine-sector-apollo-telehealth.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20393/health-sector-is-expecting-help-in-the-growth-of-the-telemedicine-sector-apollo-telehealth.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "India is combating a massive global pandemic with its resources available in the health sector. The health sector is expecting more specific allotments in this year’s budget to mitigate COVID-19 and help in the growth of the telemedicine sector. The telemedicine segment is growing at a rapid pace and in the future, we are expecting more technological innovations to take place in the industry therefore, the budget should be well allocated to the healthcare sector to initiate new innovations to be prepared for the fight with pandemics like COVID-19 in the future. It is important especially in a country like India where digital health can truly provide care to areas with short supply of doctors. Increased allocation of budget for promotion of telemedicine, home-based healthcare and national digital health mission implementation will help in building a strong healthcare ecosystem in the country. Telemedicine has potential to improve access to healthcare in remote and rural areas. Home-based healthcare will reduce burden on limited healthcare facilities. Digital Health along with various innovations should be encouraged for India’s future growth in population health. The government should also support private players and startups in this segment to increase the current coverage of the locations including tier-2 and tier-3 cities to provide the advanced healthcare facilities in these areas." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20394/expecting-allocations-for-dedicated-medtech-parks-max-ventilator.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20394/expecting-allocations-for-dedicated-medtech-parks-max-ventilator.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "Apart from the need to raise the share of healthcare as a proportion of GDP to at least 2.5 percent in the upcoming budget, the government must also further build on its earlier policy incentives such as PLI schemes and dedicated medtech parks by increasing allocations. In fact, the government should ensure that the smaller medical device players also get included and can benefit from the special schemes and offers that it has extended with a view to catalyze domestic manufacturing and to achieve the larger goal of self-reliance. Given the repeated occurrences of infectious diseases of epidemic scale in recent years, the government should also invest sufficiently into genetic and genomic research, epidemiology and vaccine research besides increasing allocation for broader healthcare R&D. Of course, the diagnostics and preventive health device segment must be given as much policy and financial support as possible. Further, the budget could also incentivize the consumables as well as medical device accessory segments which hold huge promise for the domestic sector. At the same time, adequate allocation must be made for training of personnel required for the deployment and usage of critical care equipment such as ventilators and other similar lifesaving devices." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20400/increase-customs-duty-for-finished-medical-devices-trivitron-healthcare.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20400/increase-customs-duty-for-finished-medical-devices-trivitron-healthcare.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "Tax break for 10 years for setting up facilities in upcoming economic zones, MedTech Parks & MedTech Manufacturing facilities, similar to the tax break given for Pharma - API facilities at Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. Increase in customs duty for finished medical equipment / devices. Reduction in Customs duty for components and SKD imports to promote manufacturing in India. Government grants to support R&D and Manufacturing Facility setup for important medical equipment like IVD instruments, Cath Lab, CT Scanners, MRI scanners, Ultrasound, Patient Monitor, Ventilators etc. Tax breaks and incentives for private healthcare infrastructure creation in Tier 3 & 4 towns. This will enable the healthcare reach to the deepest level in the country. Increase in Income Tax Exemption limits for Medical Insurance. In view of the Covid pandemic, the Insurance companies have increased the premium and in view of the above the Insurance premium Tax Exemption Limits have to be appropriately increased for all classes. 1 to 2% GST for health services to avail GST input credits by health services industry. GST has to be reduced significantly across all products and services, to spur consumer spending. Healthcare services have to be brought under GST regime with 1% levy so that they are able to avail the input credit available, which go as waste now , resulting in higher cost of services. If this is done, the overall cost of Healthcare services will actually come down benefitting larger section of the people." ]]> https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20402/accelerate-development-of-medical-devices-manufacturing-hubs-j-mitra.html https://biospectrumindia.com/views/87/20402/accelerate-development-of-medical-devices-manufacturing-hubs-j-mitra.html Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0530 "To boost the MedTech and diagnostics sector in the country, we have the following recommendations for the Government of India for the forthcoming Budget 2022. Inverted duty structure & custom duty– this anomaly needs to be addressed. Zero custom duty on imported products have led to uncontrolled dumping of non-standardised Chinese products in the Indian market. This is negatively impacting Indian manufacturers who meet all quality standards and duty structures imposed by the government. Also the duty on finished imported products is lower as compared to the import of raw material. This does not favour domestic production, and is irrationally skewed in favour of importers. It is exactly this reason which has made us dependent on imports and not self-reliant through domestic manufacturing. Rationalisation of Trade Margins – Importers sell their products at 10x – 20x of the landing price in India. This massive profiteering (especially at the cost of custom duty) must be curbed. MRP for all such imported products must be capped at 4x of the landing price. ICMED as the Umbrella Certification – There should be a robust strategy for establishing ICMED as a robust Indian certification mark equivalent to the likes of CE and FDA. This should be implemented for all domestic and imported devices. This will bring about standardisation and raise the quality of the medical devices available in the Indian market. This will also curb the proliferation of inferior and low-quality Chinese products that are rampantly being dumped in the Indian market. Infrastructure for Manufacturing – Development of Medical Devices manufacturing hubs and special economic zones catering to the segment need to be accelerated. They will provide the right mix of common infrastructure, facilities, and subsidies for technological upgradation. This will increase sustainability and economies of scale, and boost the growth of the segment. Other aspects critical for winning the Make-in-India race – Ensuring cost advantage over China; faster government permissions and single-window clearances; ease of doing business; adequate financing; competent infrastructure; soft loans with longer repayments; should be key focus areas in the coming budget." ]]>