In the Union Budget 2023-24 presented by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, a focus is placed on ensuring that the benefits of development reach all citizens, particularly youth, women, farmers, OBCs, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes. One of the major announcements is the establishment of 157 new nursing colleges in conjunction with existing medical colleges.
Another initiative aimed at improving healthcare is the launch of the Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission. This mission will aim to create awareness and provide universal screening for 7 million people in affected tribal areas, through collaboration between central ministries and state governments.
The Finance Minister also emphasized the importance of research and innovation in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. To support this, facilities in select ICMR labs will be made available for public and private medical college faculty, as well as private sector R&D teams. Additionally, a new program will be taken up through centers of excellence to promote research and innovation in pharmaceuticals.
To ensure that medical devices are at the forefront of technological advancements, dedicated multidisciplinary courses for medical devices will be supported in existing institutions to provide the necessary skilled manpower.
