The government will build daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals over the next three years, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced during Budget presentation on Saturday.
The Minister said that 200 of these centres will be established in 2025-26.
An additional 10,000 seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals next year, said the Minister, adding 75,000 seats will be added in these colleges in the next five years.
"To provide relief to patients, particularly those suffering from cancer, rare diseases and other severe chronic diseases, 36 lifesaving drugs and medicines are proposed to be added to the list of medicines fully exempted from basic customs duty (BCD)," said Ms Sitharaman, presenting her eight straight Budget.
"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.
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, she said.
"I propose to add 37 more medicines along with 13 new patient assistance programmes," she said.
The Minister said medical tourism and 'Heal in India' will be promoted in partnership with the private sector along with capacity building and easier visa norms.
Gig workers, said Ms Sitharaman, will be provided healthcare facilities under PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
