Union Budget: Five regional medical hubs to be set up to boost medical tourism in country
New Delhi (PTI): Giving an impetus to medical tourism, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed launching a scheme to support states in establishing five regional medical hubs in partnership with the private sector.
These hubs will serve as integrated healthcare complexes that combine medical, educational and research facilities, Sitharaman said presenting the budget 2026-27.
They will have AYUSH centres, medical value tourism facilitation centres and infrastructure for diagnostics, post care and rehabilitation, she stated.
These hubs will provide diverse job opportunities for health professionals, including doctors, and allied health professionals, she said.
Emphasising that post Covid, Ayurveda has gained global acceptance and recognition like yoga, Sitharaman also announced setting up of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to strengthen research in the field.
"Ancient Indian yoga, already respected in several parts of the world, was given a mass global recognition when the prime minister took it to the UN," she said.
Exploring quality Ayurveda products helps farmers who grow herbs and youth who process the products, she said.
Besides setting up the three All India Institutes of Ayurveda, upgrading Ayush pharmacies and drug testing labs for higher standards of certification ecosystem has been proposed in the Budget.
She also called for upgrading the WHO Global Traditional Medicine centre in Jamnagar to bolster evidence-based research, training and awareness for traditional medicine.
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No benefit for K'taka from union budget: Deputy CM Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said that there was no benefit for the state from the union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament.
He, however, said that he is yet to go through the budget in detail.
"There is no benefit for our state from the central budget. I was observing it. They have named a programme after Mahatma Gandhi now (after repealing the MGNREGA act that was named after Gandhi) ," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he demanded that the MGNREGA act be restored, as he also made it clear that the new rural employment legislation -- VB-G RAM G -- that has been enacted with a 60:40 percent fund sharing formula between the Centre and state governments, cannot be implemented.
"I don't see any major share for our state from this budget," he added.
Stating that there were expectations for Bengaluru from the central budget, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister in-charge of the city's development, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called it a "global city", "but what has the central government done for it."
He further pointed out at the troubles that sugar factories, especially those from the cooperative sector, face, due to alleged lack of decisions or measures by the central government to help them.
The Centre has the right to fix MSP for the farmers' produce. "They will have to take necessary measures to help the farmers," Shivakumar added.
