A Healthier Tomorrow

Preventive Healthcare highlights from the Union Budget 2025-26

The Union Budget announced wide scale reforms in the health and wellness sector. With implicit focus on preventive healthcare and an expected rollout of large scale HPV vaccination programs was eagerly looked forward to. While Healthcare experts seemed disappointed with the budget allocation, a National Health Policy recommendation of holding healthcare spending at greater 2.5% of the GDP, which was followed from 2019-2023, and has reduced since.?

Considering this, let us look at the preventive healthcare highlights from this year’s Union Budget.?

• The Finance Ministry has allocated ?99,858.56 crore to the healthcare sector through the Union Budget, marking a 9.78% increase from the previous fiscal year. This budget emphasizes preventive healthcare through several key initiatives:
• Expansion of Medical Education with additional Medical Seats: The government plans to add 10,000 new medical seats in the coming year, with a target of 75,000 additional seats over the next five years. This aims to strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve access to medical service providers.?
• Cancer Care through Daycare Cancer Centres: To enhance early detection and treatment, 200 cancer centres will be established in district hospitals by FY 2025-26, providing localized chemotherapy and care.?
• Inclusion of Gig Workers in Healthcare Coverage under Ayushman Bharat: Nearly 1 crore gig workers will be registered on the e-SHRAM portal and provided healthcare coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY), ensuring access to preventive and curative services.?

• Exemption of Life-Saving Drugs from Customs Duty: The budget exempts 36 life-saving drugs from Basic Customs Duty (BCD), making treatments for cancer, rare diseases, and chronic illnesses more affordable and accessible.?
• Nutritional Support through the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 Schemes: The budget introduces programs to provide nutritional support to over 8 crore children, 1 crore pregnant and lactating women, and 20 lakh adolescent girls, focusing on preventive health through improved nutrition.?

Shifting from Cure to Prevention? Why Preventive healthcare is not trending without reason

These initiatives reflect a comprehensive approach to strengthening preventive healthcare in India, aiming to reduce disease burden and promote overall public health. The highlight on preventive healthcare arises from mass consensus in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising costs in curative healthcare. Many organizations and bodies take the leap with the focus on affordable preventive healthcare- in hope of identifying early stage future medical illnesses and significantly reducing medical costs in surgery, consultation and therapy.?

Preventive healthcare gradually takes center stage as an alternative form of wellness, and we bring you the best coverage that smartly integrates the vast tech-enabled networks to bring preventive healthcare right to your doorstep!?

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