By:- Team VOH
30 Jun 2024
As Prime Minister Modi's government enters its third consecutive term, healthcare experts and industry leaders have emphasized the urgent need for reforms, including restructuring the Ayushman Bharat Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and accelerating the digital health mission. They highlighted key priorities such as preventive healthcare measures, strengthening infrastructure, and increasing healthcare spending.
Experts are concerned about whether the new government will significantly increase public healthcare expenditure to the desired levels. The National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, which aims to raise public health spending to 2.5% of GDP, has yet to be fulfilled, with many Indians still relying heavily on private services.
Dr. Girdhar Gyani, Director General of the Association of Healthcare Providers, India (AHPI), emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to foster a 'Healthy India.' He called for prioritizing preventive health measures focusing on sanitation, clean drinking water, and nutrition, alongside rapid implementation of health and wellness centers for preventive health education and screening. Dr. Gyani also stressed the importance of intensifying the 'Fit India Movement,' strengthening occupational health schemes, and restructuring the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to reach all SECC-2011 beneficiaries.
Dr. Gyani highlighted the need to incentivize the private sector to establish tertiary care facilities in tier-III cities, promote the indigenization of medical equipment, and accelerate the National Digital Health Mission to address healthcare infrastructure gaps and achieve universal health coverage through increased government spending.
Probal Ghosal, Chairman and Director of Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, sees the new term as a prime opportunity to transform healthcare infrastructure and enhance lives. He emphasized that increased healthcare spending and initiatives like AB-PMJAY could benefit both public and private sectors, though adjustments in pricing structures are necessary. Ghosal also called for addressing the shortage of healthcare staff, providing regulatory relief such as GST input credit, and promoting India as a medical tourism destination to boost revenue for private hospitals.
Abhishek Kapoor, CEO of Regency Health, highlighted the critical opportunity for the new government to prioritize universal healthcare. He called for a comprehensive roadmap focusing on long-term infrastructure financing, expanding medical education, and implementing fiscal reforms in health insurance. Elevating the healthcare budget to 2.5% of GDP is pivotal for progress, Kapoor said.
Kapoor also emphasized streamlining the GST framework, enhancing healthcare professional skills, and strengthening infrastructure in tier II and III cities. He advocated for providing infrastructure status for private sector investment, facilitating low-cost funding, and incentivizing specialists to serve in these areas. He also suggested budget allocations for primary care, tax exemptions, and expanding primary health centers (PHCs) through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Furthermore, Kapoor highlighted the importance of integrating government schemes under a unified digital platform to enhance efficiency and accelerate payments for private healthcare providers.
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