Health sector Budget 2025: 75,000 new medical seats in next 5 years, 200 day care Cancer centers announced

Budget 2025: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday made key announcements related to the health sector in her eighth consecutive Union Budget.

Updated on: Feb 1, 2025, 13:59:37 IST

By HT News Desk

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Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday made key announcements related to the health sector in her eighth consecutive Union Budget.

During her budget speech that lasted an hour and 14 minutes, the minister announced the exemption of 36 life-saving drugs from basics customs duty.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha, in New Delhi, Saturday. (Sansad TV)

She also proposed to add six life-saving medicines to the list attracting concessional customs duty of five per cent. Full exemption and concessional duty will also respectively apply for the bulk drugs for the manufacture of these drugs.

ALSO READ: Massive announcement by Nirmala Sitharaman, no income tax up to ₹12 lakh per annum

Here are the other major announcements made by the finance minister:-

1. The finance minister announced the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 initiatives for nutritional support to more than 8 crore children, 1 crore pregnant women and lactating mothers all over the country, and about 20 lakh adolescent girls in aspirational districts and the north-east region. The cost norms for the nutritional support will be enhanced appropriately.

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2. . Broadband connectivity will be provided to all government secondary schools and primary health centres in rural areas under the Bharatnet project, the minister announced.

3. The finance minister announced 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges and hospitals. “Our government has added almost 1.1 lakh UG and PG medical education seats in ten years, an increase of 130 per cent. In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals, towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next 5 years,” Sitharaman said.

4. The government will facilitate setting up of day care Cancer centres in all district hospitals in the next 3 years. 200 Centres will be established in 2025-26.

5. Medical Tourism and Heal in India will be promoted in partnership with the private sector along with capacity building and easier visa norms, the minister said.

6. Sitharaman further announced that gig workers will be provided healthcare facilities under PM-JAY and this measure is likely to assist nearly 1 crore workers.

Expert's take

Ashok Verma, partner (social), Grant Thornton, said,"Cancer incidence in India is rising, with cases expected to increase by 27.7% from 2015 to 2025. According to the National Cancer Registry Program Report 2020, one in nine people is likely to develop cancer in their lifetime."

In response, the Union Budget’s plan to establish Cancer Day Care Centres in every district over the next three years is a timely initiative. It aims to improve access to cancer treatment and support, particularly in remote areas, bridging a critical gap in healthcare services," he added.

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