New Delhi: Healthcare industry leaders and experts on Monday called on the government to significantly increase public healthcare spending in the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27 to strengthen India’s health systems and improve access to quality care.

The Association of Healthcare Providers – India (AHPI) noted that public health expenditure remains well below the National Health Policy target of 2.5 per cent of GDP and lags behind benchmarks seen in comparable developing economies.

AHPI highlighted that India’s healthcare system is under mounting pressure from a dual disease burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, alongside rising demand for speciality, preventive, and long-term care services.

The association urged the Budget 2026-27 to prioritise strengthening healthcare delivery in rural, semi-urban, and underserved regions to advance the goal of universal health coverage.

“To secure a healthier future for India, it is imperative to invest in robust health systems today. We urge the government to substantially enhance healthcare funding in Budget 2026-27, laying the foundation for world-class and inclusive care for every citizen. Expanding infrastructure, strengthening the workforce, and enabling equitable access to quality services, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, are critical to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the nation,” said Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General, AHPI.

Dr Sunil K Khetarpal, Deputy Director General, AHPI, added: “India’s healthcare demands are evolving faster than our current systems can support. The upcoming budget must accelerate investments in technology-driven care, quality assurance, and hospital capacity-building.”

Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), said the Union Budget 2026 offers a key opportunity to reinforce India’s leadership in healthcare innovation, manufacturing, and global access. He recommended increasing government healthcare spending towards the National Health Policy 2017 target of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2026–27, strengthening R&D and innovation incentives, supporting manufacturing competitiveness through GST rationalisation, reintroducing concessional tax regimes for new facilities, and simplifying compliance and regulatory frameworks.

Ameera Shah, President, NATHEALTH, emphasised the need for comprehensive, prevention-led, and resilient healthcare systems. She suggested that Budget 2026-27 could strengthen healthcare as national infrastructure through long-term affordable financing, create an NCD resilience fund by earmarking a portion of the health cess and universal CSR obligations, and expand access to quality diagnostics via a national network of NABL/ISO-accredited reference laboratories.

IANS