Health Budget 2023 Highlights: Priority to Medical Education, Research and Innovation

Highlights:

The finance ministry allocated Rs. 86,606 crore for health spending in 2022
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on February 1, 2023, that health spending will increase to 2.1% of GDP in the fiscal year 2023
She announced several initiatives in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget 2023-24 on Wednesday. She announced several initiatives in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors.

Union Health Budget - 2017-2018
The Union Health Budget for 2017 - 2018 has been announced by the Finance Minister to improve the healthcare sector of the country.

‘The Union Budget 2023 allocates a huge amount of Rs. 88,956 crore to health expenditures, a 2.71% increase from Rs. 86,606 crore in FY23.’

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Budget Allocation for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2023

In 2023, the Centre increased its allocation for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to Rs. 89,155 crore, a 3.43% increase over the FY23 allocation of Rs. 86,200.65 crore. The Department of Health and Family Welfare will receive Rs. 86,175 crore from the entire ministry budget, while the Department of Health Research will receive Rs. 2,980 crore. In 2022, the health ministry received Rs. 86,200.65 crore, a 16% increase from Rs. 73,931.77 crore in FY22.

Union Health Budget 2016-2017
National Dialysis Program, health insurance schemes for family and generic drug stores will be launched by the government

Key Takeaways of Budget 2023-24 for the Healthcare Sector

In addition to the 157 medical colleges that have been created since 2014, 157 additional nursing colleges will be established.
220 crore of COVID-19 vaccinations will be distributed to 102 crore people.
A Mission to End Sickle Cell Anemia by 2047 will be launched. In afflicted tribal communities, 7 crore people between the ages of 0 and 40 would be screened. According to Mrs. Sitharaman, the administration is on a quest to eradicate sickle cell anemia.
A new pharmaceutical research program will be developed, and the industry will be encouraged to invest in research.
Public and private medical establishments will be permitted to conduct research at select ICMR labs.
Dedicated multidisciplinary medical device courses will be sponsored in current institutions to assure the availability of skilled labor for future medical technology, high-end manufacturing, and research.
Leading industry players will be encouraged to collaborate and undertake interdisciplinary research, develop cutting-edge technologies, and solve scalable problems in agriculture, health, and sustainable cities.
Three Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centres of Excellence will be established in top educational institutions with leading industry players. Collaborating to conduct interdisciplinary research, and develop cutting-edge applications, and scalable problem solutions in the areas of health, agriculture, and sustainable systems.

India's Tiny Health Budget May Become A National Concern
India's main program to fight child malnutrition has been hit by budget cuts that make it difficult to pay wages of millions of health workers.

What was the Budget Spent on Healthcare Sector in 2022?

The government proposed spending Rs. 39,44,909 crore in 2022-23 last year, a 4.6% rise over the revised estimate for 2021-22. Total expenditure in 2021-22 is expected to be 8.2% more than the budget forecast. In 2022, among the top 13 ministries with the greatest allocations, the Ministry of Communications had the highest percentage increase in allocation (93%), followed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (52%), and the Ministry of Jal Shakti (25%). The Ministry of Defence had the most money in 2022-23, with Rs. 5,25,166 crore. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was given Rs. 86,201 crores for the fiscal year 2022-23.

Views on India�s Health Budget 2016-17
Neglecting preventive healthcare and focusing on curative healthcare is a major problem with India's budget 2016-2017. Health coverage cannot be achieved on cost-to-cost model of health system.

Budget Allocations for the Health Sector’s Core Schemes

The National Tele Mental Health Programme
: It was first announced during Mrs. Sitharaman’s Budget presentation in 2022, has been granted Rs. 133.73 crore, an increase of Rs. 12.73 crore or 10.52% over its initial Rs. 121 crore in FY23.
The Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY):
It has been awarded Rs. 7,200 crores in the Budget 2023, an increase of Rs. 743 crore or 11.51% over the FY23 allocation of Rs. 6,457 crore.
The National Health Mission:
It has been given Rs. 36,785 crore, a Rs. 375 crore fall from the Rs. 37,160 crore budgeted for 2022-2023.
Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM)
It has been granted Rs. 4,200 crore. This is a Rs. 23 crore or 0.55% increase above the Rs. 4,177 crore allocated in 2022.
Mission Shakti:
It has been awarded Rs. 3,144 crore by the finance ministry (Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women). This is a Rs. 40 crore or 1.26% reduction from the budget estimates for 2022-2023, which were Rs. 3,184 crore.
Mission VATSALYA:
Despite the government giving a revised estimate of Rs. 1,100 crore for that year, Mission VATSALYA (Child Protection Services and Child Welfare Services) has obtained a budget allocation of Rs. 1,472 crore for FY23.
The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN):
It has been given Rs. 11,600 crore, a 13.35% increase from Rs. 10,234 crore in FY23.
The Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 programs:
They have been given Rs. 20,554 crore, a 1.44% increase above the Rs. 20,263 crore allocated in FY23.
Ayushman Bharat National Digital Health Mission (ABDM):
In Budget 2023, Mrs. Sitharaman allotted Rs. 341.02 crore to the ABDM. This grant is 70.51% higher than the FY23 allocation of Rs. 200 crore.

The government announced the launch of the National Digital Health Ecosystem in 2022 as part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. It also developed the National Telemental Health Program to provide ‘excellent’ counseling to individuals. As integrated architecture, Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, Saksham Anganwadi, and POSHAN 2.0 were also introduced. The government also declared that two lahk Anganwadis would be upgraded to Saksham Anganwadis.

Source: Medindia