The healthcare sector has made a clear wish list, asking the government to give priority to three important areas as it prepares for the Interim Budget 2024–25 in India: research and development, infrastructure improvements, and addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The call from the healthcare sector is consistent with data showing that India spends a meagre 1.8% of GDP on healthcare, much less than the 6% global average. Experts contend that the Interim Budget offers a chance to close this disparity, possibly raising funding to 2.5% of GDP in accordance with the NITI Aayog’s recommendation. According to them, promoting private sector involvement can hasten infrastructure development and support the government’s goal of ensuring that everyone has access to healthcare.
The pharmaceutical sector in India has high standards for itself. Life sciences innovation and R&D must be accelerated, with a target valuation of $400–450 billion by 2047. The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance’s secretary general, Sudarshan Jain, stated that “the current R&D spending at 1.2% of GDP falls significantly below the global average, despite projections of pharmaceutical exports reaching $130 billion by 2030.” In order to realise India’s potential as a pharmaceutical superpower, Jain also pleaded with the government to enact “conducive policies” that would take advantage of tax breaks.
Despite having over 1.3 million doctors and 3 million nurses, India’s healthcare system struggles with an unequal distribution of human resources, according to government data. According to the union health ministry, the doctor-patient ratio in rural areas is 1:847, which is much higher than the WHO’s recommended ratio of 1:1000. Rural areas are still severely underserved. Skill shortages, high rates of job vacancies, and unappealing working conditions in rural areas all contribute to this scarcity.
Although there are more than 5 million auxiliary healthcare workers in India who are essential to primary care, closing the gap will require a multifaceted strategy. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been advocating for more funding for healthcare, better incentives for rural healthcare, and better training for healthcare professionals, in conjunction with regulatory organisations such as the Indian Medical Council and Indian Nursing Council.
“We have a serious medical and nursing shortage. According to Ameera Shah, the promoter and managing director of Metropolis Healthcare, “the government should significantly increase budgetary allocations to upgrade healthcare facilities, enhance patient safety, and prioritise rural healthcare development.”
The growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases poses a further threat to India’s healthcare system (NCDs). According to a 2020 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report, 2.45 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2019. There may have been a slight increase in CVD mortality in India between 2010 and 2020, according to a study that was published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas in October 2023. Moreover, the 2023 Diabetes Atlas published by the International Diabetes Federation predicted that 82.1 million adults in India will have diabetes in 2023, a continuous increase from the 77 million estimated in 2019.
Similar to CVDs, a June 2022 study published in the Journal of Thoracic Disease suggested that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is becoming more common in India, especially among women living in rural areas. Based on the most recent national cancer registry data available from 2020, 1.32 million new cases of cancer were estimated to have been diagnosed in India. Although precise numbers for 2022 and 2023 are not available, general trends point to a rise in cancer incidence, which is likely caused by factors such as an ageing population and advancements in cancer detection.
According to experts, Budget 2024 could have a revolutionary effect. It might strengthen infrastructure, encourage innovation, and put preventative care first in the fight against NCDs. Citing statistics showing that diabetes and heart disease account for more than 70% of deaths in India, Dr. Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, MD, CEO of Fortis Healthcare & President of NATHEALTH, emphasised the urgency of the situation. In line with the goals of the National Health Mission, he said, “the government should take a proactive stance and greatly increase funding for public health programmes and screening initiatives to focus on early detection and preventative care.”