Budget 2026: Healthcare experts laud cancer relief, flag gaps in public health expenditure
Healthcare leaders in Hyderabad reacted cautiously to the Union Budget 2026-27, noting that while it signals a shift toward patient-centric and globally competitive healthcare, it fails to meet expectations on public health expenditure.
Hyderabad: Well-known healthcare leaders from Hyderabad on Sunday maintained that while the Union Budget 2026-27 marks a shift toward a more patient-centric and globally competitive medical ecosystem, it still falls short of expectations regarding public health expenditure.
Senior doctors pointed out that public spending continues to remain well below the National Health Policy target of 2.5 percent of GDP, with no clear roadmap or significant jump in allocation to close the gap for universal health coverage.
Dr. Ranga Reddy Burri of the Infection Control Academy of India from Hyderabad said that the Budget strengthens India’s health industry but falls short on building a robust, equitable public health system. Real progress requires shifting the focus toward prevention, primary care, and long-term affordability to build a truly equitable public health system, he said.
Doctors also welcomed exemption of basic customs duty on cancer drugs. Dr. Bollineni Bhaskar Rao, CMD, KIMS Hospitals, said “The decision to exempt basic customs duty on 17 cancer drugs and medicines for seven additional rare diseases is a highly commendable move that will significantly reduce treatment costs and improve access to life-saving therapies for patients.”
Dr. Gayatri Kamineni, COO of Kamineni Hospitals emphasised that such policy interventions are fundamental to an equitable system where cost is no longer a limiting factor for advanced treatment.
Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder and Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, said “The duty exemptions are a meaningful step that reimagines healthcare as a powerful engine for both welfare and employment”.
The budget also outlines a structural future through the Biopharma SHAKTI initiative. Varun Khanna, Group Managing Director of Quality Care India Ltd, said, “This is a reform-driven blueprint.”
