Budget expectation 2021: Dr Alok Khullar, CEO, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai

Over the last year, we witnessed government and private hospitals tackle the pandemic brilliantly and save many lives. For the upcoming Union Budget 2021, we urge the government to give adequate importance to the healthcare sector by providing:

• Recognition and provision of industry status to healthcare along with all benefits accorded to priority sectors like IT and manufacturing
• Reduction in taxes and import duties which can help hospitals to adopt high-end technologies and equipment from other countries. This would help in improving the quality of care offered in the country at a lower cost.
• Hospitals and healthcare organisations must be offered access to capital at discounted rates and longer tenure to help them manage their working capital appropriately and reduce the overall cost of operating hospitals
• Special schemes to be provided for formal training of doctors and nurses to enhance skills and bandwidth to offer care to a larger population
• 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 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.