Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Saturday that 36 lifesaving drugs and medicines, particularly for cancer patients and those suffering from rare diseases, will be fully exempt from basic customs duty(BCD).
Presenting her record eight Budget, Ms Sitharama said,"Specified drugs and medicines under Patient Assistance Programmes run by pharmaceutical companies are fully exempt from BCD, provided the medicines are supplied free of cost to patients."
"I also propose to add six lifesaving medicines to the list attracting concessional customs duty of 5 per cent. Full exemption and concessional duty will also respectively apply on the bulk drugs for manufacture of the above," the Minister said.
She said medical tourism and 'Heal in India' will be promoted in partnership with the private sector along with capacity building and easier visa norms.
The government, said the Minister, will facilitate setting up of daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals over the next three years and 200 of these will be established in 2025-26.
An additional 10,000 seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals next year towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next five years.
She further announced that gig workers will be provided healthcare facilities under PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and this measure is likely to assist nearly 1 crore workers.
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