Sterling Hospitals Urges Healthcare Investment Boost Ahead of Union Budget

In anticipation of the Union Budget, Sterling Hospitals has spotlighted the urgent need for enhanced investments in India's healthcare sector. This call to action aims at reinforcing delivery systems, improving affordability, and fortifying resilience across the nation’s health infrastructure.

Leading the charge, Mr. Amrendra Kumar Gupta, CFO of Sterling Hospitals, underscores the pivotal role of increased public healthcare allocations in the effective execution of government health initiatives. Specifically, he argues that boosting resources for programs like Ayushman Bharat would facilitate smoother payment processes, bolster hospital operations, and ultimately, ensure quality care at a broader scale.

Gupta also stresses aligning healthcare budgetary spendings with the National Health Policy's target of 2.5% of GDP to catalyze infrastructure development, technology proliferation, and workforce augmentation. He advocates for incentives to spur investment in healthcare capacity and skilled manpower, particularly in critical areas such as nursing and ICU care.

Importantly, Gupta highlights a focus on incentives for training allied healthcare professionals to bridge skill gaps and enhance operational efficiency, lowering costs to benefit patients. He also calls for tax reliefs to foster domestic innovation in medical devices and AI-driven healthcare solutions, reducing reliance on imports and decreasing long-term costs for hospitals.

Sterling Hospitals also urges expeditious clearance of indigenous drug development and clinical research, offering swifter responses to public health emergencies. Gupta proposes improved governance mechanisms within public health schemes to resolve insurance and reimbursement issues swiftly, mitigating financial stress.

The hospital group asserts that a balanced Budget that emphasizes higher healthcare investment, private sector engagement, domestic innovation, and rigorous governance will ensure the sustainable evolution of India's healthcare framework, enhancing patient outcomes nationwide.