Will Budget 2020 hold out much for the multiple stakeholders in healthcare?

The pharmaceutical industry, including the clinical trial segment, will be looking for a policy directive to spur innovation and research. Though medicine sales have been growing in the country, companies have been calling for support to propel them into the next league of growth. Re-igniting the production of bulk drugs to reduce India’s dependence on China is another long-pending promise from the Centre. Earlier Budgets announced pan-India schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Jan Aushadhi. Health workers will be watching the financial commitment to these schemes, besides the overall outlay towards healthcare spending for the country and where that leaves citizens, grappling with tuberculosis, diabetes or cancer, to name a few ailments. Presently, India’s healthcare spending hovers at 1 per cent of GDP on healthcare.

comment COMMENT NOW