<p><em><strong>By Dr Rajat Arora,</strong></em></p>.<p>The healthcare community in India is happy to see the long-overdue focus on the sector finally taking an important part in the budgetary outlay.</p>.<p>The increase of 137 per cent in the healthcare sector budgetary outlay is unprecedented, not only in the history of India but anywhere in the world.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/union-budget/budget-2021-live-fm-nirmala-sitharaman-modi-parliament-budget-speech-income-tax-slabs-budget-2021-announcements-coronavirus-privatisation-divestment-945745.html" target="_blank"><strong>Budget 2021 Live on DH</strong></a></p>.<p>The Rs 35,000 crore outlay for Covid-19 vaccines will certainly boost the confidence of healthcare workers as well as common people and is a decisive step towards resuming economic activities and tread on the path of growth.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/union-budget/union-budget-2021-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-fm-proposes-rs-224-lakh-crore-outlay-for-healthcare-in-2021-22-945973.html" target="_blank">Union Budget 2021 | Amid coronavirus pandemic, FM proposes Rs 2.24 lakh crore outlay for healthcare in 2021-22</a></strong></p>.<p>The capability-increasing measures such as setting up of integrated public healthcare laboratories in 11 states, a country-specific Indian centre for disease control and prevention, 9 biosafety 3-level laboratories, and 4 regional National Institute of Virology across the country will play a significant role in not only addressing the current disease scenario but will also help in addressing the emerging challenges and the future pandemics.</p>.<p>The focus on digitization in the form of expansion of health information portals is also a welcome step and will pave the way for the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).</p>.<p><em>(The author is Founder Director at Genestrings Diagnostics Center -- a Covid testing unit at IGIA)</em></p>
<p><em><strong>By Dr Rajat Arora,</strong></em></p>.<p>The healthcare community in India is happy to see the long-overdue focus on the sector finally taking an important part in the budgetary outlay.</p>.<p>The increase of 137 per cent in the healthcare sector budgetary outlay is unprecedented, not only in the history of India but anywhere in the world.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/union-budget/budget-2021-live-fm-nirmala-sitharaman-modi-parliament-budget-speech-income-tax-slabs-budget-2021-announcements-coronavirus-privatisation-divestment-945745.html" target="_blank"><strong>Budget 2021 Live on DH</strong></a></p>.<p>The Rs 35,000 crore outlay for Covid-19 vaccines will certainly boost the confidence of healthcare workers as well as common people and is a decisive step towards resuming economic activities and tread on the path of growth.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/union-budget/union-budget-2021-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-fm-proposes-rs-224-lakh-crore-outlay-for-healthcare-in-2021-22-945973.html" target="_blank">Union Budget 2021 | Amid coronavirus pandemic, FM proposes Rs 2.24 lakh crore outlay for healthcare in 2021-22</a></strong></p>.<p>The capability-increasing measures such as setting up of integrated public healthcare laboratories in 11 states, a country-specific Indian centre for disease control and prevention, 9 biosafety 3-level laboratories, and 4 regional National Institute of Virology across the country will play a significant role in not only addressing the current disease scenario but will also help in addressing the emerging challenges and the future pandemics.</p>.<p>The focus on digitization in the form of expansion of health information portals is also a welcome step and will pave the way for the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).</p>.<p><em>(The author is Founder Director at Genestrings Diagnostics Center -- a Covid testing unit at IGIA)</em></p>