3 february 2024 Interim Budget and health, tourism , research

​The Interim Budget has captured a decade of transformation and the opportunities ahead, in health, tourism and research

बदलाव का दौर 

.1  India has seen a decade of transformation, from being under-developed to developing to now becoming the fastest growing economy in the world. 

2 India is an economic bright spot, growing consistently at 7%, while other world economies are growing at 2.5%.

.3  India’s space programme has won the admiration of the world. 

4 The country has also balanced the fine line between renewable and non-renewable energy more skilfully than any other nation, and is ahead in terms of targets.

Preventive health checks are needed. 

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among young girls

 initiative in the Interim Budget to promote the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among young girls,

 to prevent cervical cancer, is an excellent step

We can take similar steps for several types of cancers and all non-communicable diseases, and significantly reduce India’s disease burden. 

We urge the government to consider incentivising individuals to undertake preventive health checks.

drop in infant mortality and maternal mortality

India has made remarkable strides in health indicators over the last four decades, with the drop in infant mortality and maternal mortality. 

Maternal and child health care receives a comprehensive focus in the Budget, and rightfully so.

 If mother and child are well, women’s participation in the workforce will increase even more than it has.

कितना खर्चा किया जा रहा हेल्थ पर 

Life expectancy has increased from 53 years to 70 years in the last four decades. 

This has been achieved with less than 2% budgetary allocation for health over the years — if this can be increased to 5%, remarkable strides can be made in achieving better population health outcomes.

The foundation for an innovation revolution

 research and technology

In highlighting ‘innovation’ as a key pillar of development in today’s era, 

the government has decided to set aside a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore with 50-year interest free loans 

to provide long-term financing and refinancing to the private sector to invest in research and technology. 

Integration of technology 

has the potential to create a significant impact at scale across various domains. 

In health care, deeper tech collaborations will help us 

• touch more lives 
• and boost access to quality care,
• overcoming limitations such as the skewed doctor-patient ratio and even reducing health-care costs significantly.
  

Medical value travel

tourism

While the Interim Budget touched upon the impact of tourism flowing from religious and iconic places 

and has made provision for States to promote this in a big way, 

there is another facet of tourism that is steadily attracting more tourists and becoming a tangible reason to travel, namely health care or ‘medical value travel’. 

with ‘Heal in India’ 

touching new heights. India’s superior talent and global standards of clinical outcomes have made India a lucrative health-care destination for the world.

Further, enhancing connectivity 

through new corridors with the railways along with more airports and air routes has the potential to help Indians in getting much easier access to quality health care.

Perhaps even more important than what the Budget said, were the hidden figures 

• — private expenditure and its rise, 
• 
  
• an increase in consumption, 
• 
  
• and the underlying core theme that the private sector has risen beyond all expectations to play a meaningful role in not just the economy but in how we will live our lives. 
• 
  
• And if all of us continue to work together, India will truly be limitless.
  

Source the hindu