Healthcare players have welcomed the Union Budget as positive and forward-looking.
Dr K. Hari Prasad, President, Apollo Group said that there was increasing focus on healthcare as evident from the Union Budget.
As part of healthcare skill development, the Finance Minister proposed 157 new nursing colleges and novel skill development courses for medical equipment and device manufacturing and innovation.
According to him, promoting research and innovation in healthcare by opening up ICMR labs for collaborative research with medical colleges and the private sector was another critical element of the Union Budget.
Artificial Intelligence in healthcare gets a major thrust and this would be of immense help in improving healthcare and also create opportunities for research and innovation across the healthcare spectrum, he said.
He feels that 5G labs to develop healthcare applications will enhance healthcare connectivity and access to higher quality of care to people living in distant geographies. Replacing old ambulances with new ones will improve pre-hospital emergency care aiding in saving lives during the 'golden hour'
"The government healthcare expenditure has doubled over the last eight years and is going up further. With wellness and primary care being the areas most of focus it will have a positive impact on basic healthcare indices like maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate," he said.
Dr. Bollineni Bhaskar Rao, MD, KIMSAHospitals said it was heartening to note that the Union Budget 2023-24 continued to lay emphasis on research in the fields associated with healthcare. He commended Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for paving way to dedicated multidisciplinary courses to ensure availability of skilled manpower for futuristic medical technologies, high-end manufacturing and research.
"I am sure many leading industry players will partner in conducting interdisciplinary research, develop cutting-edge applications and scalable solutions in areas like healthcare and sustainability," he said.
Krishna Prasad Vunnam, Founder and MD, Ankura Hospital for women and Children welcomed the government's intent to invest in setting up centres of excellence to promote research and development in pharma and termed it an excellent move to help India move up the value chain in the life sciences sector, the
"157 new nursing colleges, sickle cell anemia reduction program, pharma research, and PPP for medical research is much needed. Facilities in select ICMR labs to be made available for research is a good move," he said.
8 jawans, driver killed as Maoists blow up security vehicle in Chhattisgarh
In the most gruesome Maoist attack in the New Year, eight jawans and a driver have been killed after the rebels blew up a security vehicle in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police sources said on Monday.
GRP arrested 35 human traffickers in Tripura in 5 months
The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested 35 human traffickers in the last five months in Tripura for facilitating illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas into India, officials said on Monday.
23 injured in two separate road accidents in Tripura
At least 10 students and a woman suffered breathing problems and six of them immediately shifted to the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital and their condition stated to be not serious.
India well prepared to handle HMPV, surveillance shows no unusual surge: Centre
India is well-prepared to handle respiratory illnesses and surveillance shows no unusual surge in the country, according to the government, as reports surface about rising cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China in the past few weeks.
PM Modi guarantees continuation of free welfare schemes in Delhi
No existing public welfare scheme in Delhi will be withdrawn after BJP comes to power in Delhi, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, virtually guaranteeing the continuation of free water, power and bus travel for women offered by the current AAP government.
Big milestone: Indian metro network now third-largest in the world
India has achieved a remarkable milestone by reaching 1,000 kilometres in its metro network, solidifying its position as the world's third-largest metro system.
‘Jagriti’ awareness drive to aware students about road safety and consumer rights
To make the students aware about road safety and consumer rights, the government is set to launch ‘Jagriti’ – an awareness programme from January 11 next, said minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Saturday.
Ex-CM accuses BJP of divisive politics to mask hide core issues
Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Saturday criticized the ruling BJP, accusing it of fostering divisions among Hindus, Muslims, Tribals, and Non-Tribals to divert attention from pressing issues such as rising prices, unemployment, and economic hardships.