{"id":154761,"date":"2025-02-08T19:19:05","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T13:49:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=154761"},"modified":"2025-02-08T19:19:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T13:49:05","slug":"budget-on-public-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/budget-on-public-healthcare","title":{"rendered":"Union Budget 2025 on Public Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For India\u2019s healthcare sector, the finance minister allocated<\/span><b> Rs 99,858.56 crore for 2025-26, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with an almost <\/span><b>11 per cent increase<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the last fiscal year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Budget Allocation<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total allocation: <\/span><b>\u20b999,858.56 crore<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (11% increase from \u20b989,974 crore in 2024-25).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Key Policy Measures<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Healthcare Expenditure &#038; Policy Gaps<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>National Health Mission (NHM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allocated \u20b937,226.92 crore, but its share in the total budget has declined over time\u200b.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Ayushman Bharat PMJAY<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allocation: \u20b99,406 crore (29% increase from 2024-25)\u200b.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: \u20b94,200 crore (40% increase from last year)\u200b.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Duty Cuts on Life-Saving Drugs<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expansion of <\/span><b>essential medicines exempted from Basic Customs Duty (BCD)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>36 new life-saving drugs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> added (for cancer, rare diseases, chronic conditions).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>6 life-saving medicines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to attract a <\/span><b>concessional customs duty of 5%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Cancer Care Infrastructure<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>200 new cancer daycare centres<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in government hospitals by 2025-26.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plan to establish <\/span><b>district-level cancer treatment facilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the next <\/span><b>3 years\u200b.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Healthcare Coverage for Gig Workers<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inclusion under <\/span><b>Ayushman Bharat (AB-PMJAY)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Registration of <\/span><b>10 million gig workers on the e-Shram portal <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under PM Jan Arogya Yojana to ensure access to medical care.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Budget for AB-PMJAY: <\/span><b>\u20b94,200 crore<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Digital Infrastructure in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs)<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus on digitization &#038; technology-driven healthcare services.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Centres of Excellence for AI<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Rs 500 crore investment to foster tech-driven healthcare solutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Medical Tourism &#8211; \u2018Heal in India\u2019 Initiative<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promotion of <\/span><b>India as a global medical tourism hub<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduction of <\/span><b>on-arrival visas for international patients<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to position India as a global medical tourism destination.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Medical Education &#038; Workforce<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>10,000 new medical seats<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to be added this year, with a long-term goal of <\/span><b>75,000 seats in 5 years<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u200b.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Atal Tinkering Labs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> expansion: 50,000 ATLs in govt. schools\u200b.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.8996%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Key Statistics<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Total Health Expenditure (THE)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Rs 9,04,461 crore<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (3.8% of GDP) in FY22.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Government Health Expenditure (GHE)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Increased from <\/span><b>29% of THE in FY15<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><b>48% in FY22<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Declined from <\/span><b>62.6% of THE in FY15<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><b>39.4% in FY22<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Covers <\/span><b>12 crore families<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (55 crore individuals), with <\/span><b>30,000 hospitals empanelled<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Key Healthcare Schemes and Programs<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2018 as the<\/span><b> world\u2019s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It initially targeted vulnerable populations covering 55 crore individuals from 12.34 crore families.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Coverage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Provides health coverage of <\/span><b>Rs 5 lakh per family per year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Expansion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Extended to include <\/span><b>senior citizens aged 70 and above<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, benefiting <\/span><b>6 crore senior citizens<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Impact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Over <\/span><b>36.36 crore Ayushman cards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> issued, with <\/span><b>30,000 hospitals empanelled<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) that aims to improve health infrastructure and services in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme period is from <\/span><b>2021-2022 to 2025-2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Aim<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Strengthen public health infrastructure, including <\/span><b>9594 Sub Centre-Health Wellness Centres (HWCs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>577 Critical Care Blocks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>National Health Mission (NHM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Launched<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: L<\/span><b>aunched<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by the government of India in 2013 subsuming the previous missions,<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>National Rural Health Mission (2005) and National Urban Health Mission (2012)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Components:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It include<\/span><b> Health System Strengthening, Reproductive-Maternal- Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A), and Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases, Infrastructure Maintainence.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Objective:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The NHM envisages<\/span><b> achievement of universal access to equitable, affordable &#038; quality health care<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> services that are accountable and responsive to people\u2019s needs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Allocation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Rs 37,226.92 crore<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for improving disease surveillance, advanced testing facilities, and emergency preparedness.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Jan Aushadhi Scheme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of the <\/span><b>Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP),<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> launched in 2008.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Objective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Provide affordable medicines to the public, especially low-income groups and those with chronic illnesses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Expansion:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Over 14,000 Jan Aushadhi kendras nationwide as of 2024.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Challenges in the Healthcare Sector in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Low Public Health Expenditure: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s <\/span><b>public healthcare spending is only 1.94% of GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Budget 2025), far below the <\/span><b>National Health Policy (2017) target of 2.5%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countries like <\/span><b>China (3.2%)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Brazil (3.9%)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> spend significantly more on healthcare as a percentage of GDP.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inadequate Healthcare Infrastructure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India has <\/span><b>only 1.3 hospital beds per 1,000 people<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, far below the <\/span><b>WHO recommendation of 3.5 per 1,000<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Rural areas suffer severe doctor shortages<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; doctor-patient ratio in India is <\/span><b>1:1,511<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (WHO recommends <\/span><b>1:1,000<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Shortage of Medical Professionals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India has <\/span><b>only 1.7 nurses per 1,000 people<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, lower than the <\/span><b>WHO norm of 3 per 1,000<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bihar and Jharkhand have the <\/span><b>lowest doctor density<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, leading to <\/span><b>poor healthcare access in rural areas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High Disease Burden (NCDs vs. Communicable Diseases)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) cause 63% of deaths in India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, cancer).<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has <\/span><b>77 million diabetics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2nd highest in the world after China).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Limited support for preventive healthcare<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; focus on <\/span><b>curative care over preventive measures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Limited Health Insurance Coverage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Over 400 million Indians lack health insurance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially in the informal sector.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY) covers 12 crore families<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but the <\/span><b>&#8220;missing middle&#8221; (lower-middle-class workers) remains uninsured<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Poor Preventive &#038; Primary Healthcare<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Only 40% of the health budget goes to primary healthcare<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, despite the <\/span><b>National Health Policy (2017) goal of 66%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Tuberculosis (TB) cases in India remain high<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 <\/span><b>2.2 million cases annually<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, despite efforts like the National<\/span><b> TB Elimination Program (NTEP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Digital Divide in Healthcare<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Rural internet penetration is only ~38%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, limiting the reach of telemedicine &#038; digital health solutions.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Unequal access to digital healthcare services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, widening health disparities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Budget 2025 prioritizes AI &#038; digital health, but lacks a structured approach for rural accessibility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: As per Economic Survey 2024-25, India\u2019s <\/span><b>OOPE is 39.4%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making healthcare unaffordable for many.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countries like the <\/span><b>UK &#038; Australia have approx 13% OOPE<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as they rely on public healthcare systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Aging Population &#038; Lack of Long-Term Care<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India\u2019s elderly population is projected to reach <\/span><b>340 million by 2050<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countries like <\/span><b>Japan &#038; Germany<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have dedicated geriatric care policies, unlike India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Way Forward for the Healthcare Sector in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increase Public Health Spending<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Raise <\/span><b>public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (as per National Health Policy, 2017).<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Increase NHM budget allocation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to strengthen primary healthcare.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduce a <\/span><b>healthcare cess on tobacco &#038; sugary products<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to generate additional revenue.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthen Primary &#038; Preventive Healthcare:<\/b> <b>Focus on Preventive Care<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Increase <\/span><b>vaccination, screenings, lifestyle interventions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure two-thirds of the health budget is allocated to <\/span><b>primary healthcare<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as per <\/span><b>NHP 2017<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improve Medical Infrastructure &#038; Human Resources<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Increase doctor-to-population ratio<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by <\/span><b>adding 100+ new medical colleges<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially in Tier-2 &#038; Tier-3 cities.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Enhance telemedicine &#038; mobile health units<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for rural areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tamil Nadu\u2019s <\/span><b>hub-and-spoke model for rural healthcare delivery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be replicated nationwide.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Expand Health Insurance &#038; Reduce OOPE<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Broaden Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Include the <\/span><b>\u2018missing middle\u2019 (lower-middle-class workers)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Subsidize health insurance premiums<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and reduce <\/span><b>GST on insurance from 18% to 5%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Germany\u2019s <\/span><b>universal health insurance model<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ensures coverage for all citizens, reducing out-of-pocket expenses.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Digital Health &#038; AI Integration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Enhance Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to create <\/span><b>interoperable Electronic Health Records (EHRs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Use AI for diagnostics &#038; predictive healthcare<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (e.g., AI-driven TB &#038; cancer screening).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Address the Aging Population &#038; Long-Term Care:<\/b> <b>Introduce a National Geriatric Care Policy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with <\/span><b>home-based &#038; ambulatory care models<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Japan\u2019s <\/span><b>integrated elder care system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> could be adapted for India\u2019s growing aging population.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Promote Medical Tourism &#038; R&#038;D in Pharmaceuticals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Create Special Medical Tourism Zones (SMTZs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with tax incentives.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Increase funding for R&#038;D in pharmaceuticals &#038; med-tech<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (e.g., weighted tax deductions for research).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singapore\u2019s <\/span><b>high-quality medical tourism infrastructure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> attracts thousands of international patients annually.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Budget 2025 has laid a strong foundation, but increased funding, focus on preventive care, and digital transformation are essential for sustainable growth. Addressing infrastructure gaps, mental health issues, and affordability challenges will be crucial for achieving universal health coverage and improving overall health outcomes in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Ready to boost your UPSC 2025 preparation?<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><i>Join PW&#8217;s UPSC online courses<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> today!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Also Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Editorials<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Main Answer Writing<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-previous-year-papers?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Previous+Year+Papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Test Series<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For India\u2019s healthcare sector, the finance minister allocated Rs 99,858.56 crore for 2025-26, with an almost 11 per cent increase from the last fiscal year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":154744,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2084],"subject":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/154761"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154761"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/154761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154765,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/154761\/revisions\/154765"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154761"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=154761"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=154761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}