{"id":35558,"date":"2025-01-31T18:04:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T12:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/2025\/01\/31\/dr-aashish-chaudhrys-recommendations-for-the-union-budget-2025-26-paving-the-way-for-global-healthcare-hub\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T18:04:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T12:34:12","slug":"dr-aashish-chaudhrys-recommendations-for-the-union-budget-2025-26-paving-the-way-for-global-healthcare-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/2025\/01\/31\/dr-aashish-chaudhrys-recommendations-for-the-union-budget-2025-26-paving-the-way-for-global-healthcare-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Aashish Chaudhry\u2019s Recommendations for the Union Budget 2025-26: Paving the Way for Global Healthcare Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><strong>New Delhi [India], January 31: <\/strong>As the world increasingly turns to India for affordable and high-quality medical care, the healthcare sector requires strategic policy interventions in the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26. Dr. Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director at Aakash Healthcare, presents a compelling vision for transforming India into a global healthcare hub while ensuring equitable access for its citizens. His recommendations emphasise infrastructural enhancement, policy streamlining, and holistic patient experiences to fortify India\u2019s leadership in medical tourism and healthcare delivery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Positioning India as the Global Healthcare Hub<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>India has emerged as a trusted healthcare destination, catering to patients from developed and developing nations alike. To consolidate this position, the government must adopt a multifaceted approach:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><strong>Infrastructure Development:<\/strong>\u00a0Increased budget allocation for healthcare infrastructure, particularly in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, to decentralize access to quality medical care.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Research and Development:<\/strong>\u00a0Enhanced funding for medical research, AI-driven diagnostics, and MedTech innovations to maintain India\u2019s competitive edge.<\/li>\n<li><strong>International Accreditation:<\/strong>\u00a0Facilitating NABH and JCI accreditation for hospitals to meet global healthcare standards and instil confidence among international patients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2. Streamlining Medical Visa Processes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The complexity of India\u2019s medical visa system often deters patients seeking treatment. Dr. Chaudhry suggests policy refinements to make the process seamless:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><strong>Expedited Visa Approvals:<\/strong>\u00a0Introducing a \u2018Fast-Track Medical Visa\u2019 category with a turnaround time of 48-72 hours.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Digital Integration:<\/strong>\u00a0A centralised portal linking hospitals, embassies, and immigration authorities to ensure swift processing and verification.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Companion-Friendly Policies:<\/strong>\u00a0Simplified procedures for accompanying family members, reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>3. Enhancing Financial Accessibility for International Patients<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Medical tourism is hindered by financial transaction barriers. Dr. Chaudhry advocates for:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><strong>Efficient Money Transfer Mechanisms:<\/strong>\u00a0Establishing dedicated foreign exchange counters and digital payment gateways within hospitals for hassle-free transactions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tax Incentives for International Patients:<\/strong>\u00a0GST exemptions on healthcare services availed by foreign nationals, boosting India\u2019s attractiveness as a medical tourism destination.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Medical Insurance Collaborations:<\/strong>\u00a0Encouraging partnerships between Indian hospitals and global insurance providers to facilitate cashless treatments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>4. Creating a Unified Digital Healthcare Platform<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A national healthcare portal can revolutionise the accessibility of medical services for both domestic and international patients:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><strong>Doctor-Patient Connectivity:<\/strong>\u00a0A government-backed digital platform where global patients can consult Indian doctors for both pre- and post-treatment procedures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Treatment Coordination:<\/strong>\u00a0Integration of hospital networks for seamless referrals and multi-specialty collaborations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Real-Time Health Records:<\/strong>\u00a0Blockchain-enabled electronic health records (EHRs) for secure and efficient data exchange.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>5. Promoting India\u2019s Heritage Alongside Medical Tourism<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Beyond medical treatment, international patients seek holistic wellness experiences. India\u2019s cultural and spiritual heritage can be seamlessly integrated into their journey:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><strong>Medical and Heritage Tourism Packages:<\/strong>\u00a0Collaborations between the Ministries of Health and Tourism to promote wellness retreats, Ayurvedic therapies, and historic site visits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural Orientation Programs:<\/strong>\u00a0Providing international patients with curated experiences to enrich their stay while promoting India\u2019s soft power.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>6. Addressing Vitamin D Deficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With one in five Indians suffering from Vitamin D deficiency, a national program\u2014\u201dVitamin D Kuposhan Mukt Bharat\u201d\u2014should be introduced under the Union Budget. Key initiatives should include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strengthening existing government programs to subsidise Vitamin D testing and treatment.<\/li>\n<li>Utilising ongoing research such as ICMR-NIN\u2019s \u2018Diet and Biomarkers Survey (DABS-I)\u2019 to develop targeted interventions.<\/li>\n<li>Implementing fortification policies similar to global models, such as Jordan\u2019s national wheat flour fortification programme.<\/li>\n<li>Educating the public on Vitamin D\u2019s role in preventing osteoporosis, rickets, and musculoskeletal disorders.<\/li>\n<li>Enhancing workforce productivity by mitigating the economic losses caused by deficiency-related absenteeism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/RmREocAgQm4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/RmREocAgQm4<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> Views expressed above are the author\u2019s own and do not reflect the publication\u2019s\u00a0views.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Delhi [India], January 31: As the world increasingly turns to India for affordable and high-quality medical care, the healthcare sector requires strategic policy interventions in the upcoming Union Budget 2025-26. Dr. Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director at Aakash Healthcare, presents a compelling vision for transforming India into a global healthcare hub while ensuring equitable access&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/2025\/01\/31\/dr-aashish-chaudhrys-recommendations-for-the-union-budget-2025-26-paving-the-way-for-global-healthcare-hub\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Dr. Aashish Chaudhry\u2019s Recommendations for the Union Budget 2025-26: Paving the Way for Global Healthcare Hub&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[639],"class_list":["post-35558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailynewsindia.co.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}