Letters

The government’s focus on digitisation in healthcare should give rise to the integration of digital technologies such as AI/ML in equipment and digital data management

Suresh Vazirani, Founder Chairman, Transasia-Erba International Group of Companies

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 Dr Lalitha Reddy, Vice President, Telemedicine Society of India

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. Sudarshan Jain, Secretary-General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance

The budget with its digital push in education and skilling for all shows that it has its heart in the right place. With digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identifier for each individual will help to provide universal access to health facilities. Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group

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. Dr Azad Moopen, Founder CMD, Aster DM Healthcare

Tt 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

Vani Manja, Country Managing Director, Boehringer Ingelheim India The Union Budget does not give any clear directions and has no blockbuster announcements. Harish Iyer, Head of Finance, Carestream 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 Dinesh Chauhan, CEO, CORE Diagnostics As expected, Budget 22-23 was a balanced effort to improve overall economic growth. Measures introduced in Budget 2022-23 will further strengthen the healthcare sector while focusing on prevailing challenges. Dr GK Velu, CMD, Trivitron Healthcare and Neuberg Diagnostics 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 Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, AiMeD The budget has just focussed on mental health and the digitisation of the healthcare sector. Budget 22-23 seems very disappointing for the healthcare sector. India’s growth is estimated to be at 9.27 per cent and healthcare will play a major role in the boost. Strengthening of health infrastructure, speedy vaccination programme implementation has strengthened the Indian healthcare system. Dr Alok Roy, Member, FICCI, Health Services Committee and Chairman Medica Group of Hospitals

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