Healthcare Sector Pushes for Incentives in Upcoming Budget

The healthcare industry is urging for incentives and increased allocations in the upcoming Budget 2024. During a pre-Budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, industry players highlighted the need for affordable financing and cheaper land to set up hospitals in Tier 3 cities.

On Thursday, the healthcare industry made a compelling case for incentives and increased allocations in the forthcoming Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. During a pre-Budget consultation with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the sector's stakeholders emphasized the need for affordable financing options and lower-cost land to facilitate the establishment of hospitals in Tier 3 cities.

'Prime Minister Modi's vision of 3,000 hospitals in Tier 3 towns with 100 beds each remains unrealized,' remarked Girdhar Gyani, Director General of the Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI). 'To achieve this, the private sector requires government incentives, including cheaper electricity, land, affordable loans, and streamlined approvals.'

Indian Red Cross' vice chairman, Anand Pandhari, advocated for the creation of a specialized cell to bolster the implementation of the national education policy within the healthcare sector. This was the ninth pre-Budget consultation chaired by the Finance Minister, attended by experts from both health and education sectors, as well as various key government officials.