The Healthcare industry has put forward some expectations and aspirations that will help the sector to grow. Some key expectations are topping this year’s budget 2024 wishlist including the allocation on healthcare, strengthening the infrastructure for improved research and development, increasing the focus towards primary healthcare and promoting local manufacturing among others. Dr. Sri Ganesh, the Chairman and Managing Director shared his insights and aspirations on the Union budget.
Dr. Sri Ganesh said, “A Central policy to make advanced surgical technologies accessible to common people will go a long way in enhancing the healthcare sector, especially in eye care”. Here Dr Sri Ganesh provides two aspects which help to extend the benefits of cutting-edge technology to more patients. The key aspects such as:
- The inclusion of advanced surgical technologies in health insurance
- The exemption or reduction in the custom duty of surgical equipment and consumables.
Previously, there was no customs duty on sight-saving equipment, but this was revoked a few years ago. In India, there are 9 million people are blind due to reversible blindness caused by cataracts. Dr. Sri Ganesh said, ” Most of the equipment we use for such allergies is imported and expensive. For every surgery, we have to use consumables, but for that, we also need to pay customs duty, which makes it quite expensive”.
In India surgeon’s charges are the lowest but the high cost and customs duty for the technology and consumables make the surgery expensive. We are requesting the government to make sight-saving equipment and consumables exempted from customs duty, which will make the surgeries affordable and accessible for more people.
Source : ET Healthworld