Union Budget: Cancer drugs to get cheaper, special attention to women and child healthcare
The Hindu
Union Budget 2025-26 allocates ₹99,858.56 crore to health ministry, focusing on drug exemptions, manpower creation, and medical education expansion.
The government has allocated ₹99,858.56 crore for the Union Health Ministry in the Union Budget 2025-26 — ₹95,957.87 crore for the Department of Health and Family Welfare and ₹3,900.69 crore for the Department of Health Research. It is an increase from ₹89,974.12 crore allocated in the Budget (revised estimates) of 2024-2025.
The government has announced full exemption of 36 lifesaving drugs for treating cancer, rare diseases and chronic diseases from basic customs duty. This will make the drugs cheaper. It has also exempted 37 medicines along with 13 new drugs and medicines under Patient Assistance Programmes from the duty, when these are given free of cost to patients.
It has announced additional manpower creation and expanding its health assurance scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to include gig workers. The Budget, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, also envisages enhanced care for women and child health through targeted interventions.
Significantly, 10,000 seats will be added in medical colleges next year towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next five years.
The government has allocated ₹2,445 crore for Production Linked Incentive (PLI) for the pharmaceutical industry. AB PM-JAY has got an allocation of ₹9,406 crore. The government has allocated ₹4,200 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
Women and child healthcare has a budget allocation of ₹5,400 crore with key announcements including expanded maternal health programmes under PM Matru Vandana Yojana, increased funding for child nutrition and vaccinations and upgradation of more Anganwadi centres with digital tracking systems.
The government has allocated ₹37,226.92 crore to the National Health Mission (NHM). The National Tele Mental Health Programme has been allocated ₹79.6 crore.
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