Union Budget 2025: Major Relief for Cancer Patients – 36 Life-Saving Drugs Exempted from Customs Duty

New Delhi Budget 2025 : In a move that will ease the financial burden of patients suffering from cancer and rare diseases, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman exempted 36 life-saving drugs from basic customs duty in the Union Budget 2025. The government also plans to open 200 daycare cancer centres in district hospitals by 2025-26 to make the healthcare infrastructure even stronger.

Budget 2025: Relief for cancer and rare disease patients

Nirmala Sitharaman emphasised the government’s commitment towards healthcare and patient welfare during her budget speech in Parliament. “To provide relief to patients, especially those suffering from cancer and rare diseases, I propose to fully exempt 36 life-saving drugs from customs duty,” she said. Six more critical drugs will be added to the list attracting a concessional customs duty rate of 5%.

The move follows last year’s announcement in which three more cancer drugs were exempted from customs duty. This will reduce treatment costs and make essential medicines available to millions of patients in India.

Cancer Status in India

Cancer still remains a growing health concern for India as new cases are increasing every year. According to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), India recorded 1,461,427 new cancer cases in 2022, with a crude incidence rate of 100.4 per 100,000 people. Statistics show that one in nine Indians will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Moreover, according to data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), about 70 million Indians suffer from rare diseases.

Industry experts have welcomed the customs duty exemption on life-saving drugs. Terming the decision as a “step in the right direction”, Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association secretary general Dara Patel said it will help serve millions of patients and support patient-centric healthcare initiatives.

Daycare cancer centres

Apart from the waiver of charges, the finance minister proposed to open 200 daycare cancer centres in district hospitals across the country. Such daycare cancer centres will offer chemotherapy, immunotherapy and minor surgical procedures for cancer patients without prolonged hospitalisation.

Dr Shyam Agarwal, vice-president of the Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, said setting up daycare cancer centres at the district level is a welcome move. Such facilities at the district level will play a vital role in providing critical facilities closer to the cancer patient’s home, reducing the burden of travel and accommodation on families.

Future Healthcare Projections

It is estimated that the projected cancer burden will increase from 26.7 million DALYs in 2021 to 29.8 million by 2025, and the burden was higher in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. It is emphasized that this government action to increase access to essential medicines and enhance the treatment infrastructure for cancer will be one of the critical interventions needed for this crisis that is growing rapidly.

Since the Union Budget 2025 focuses on improving access and affordability of healthcare, these measures are an important step towards a more patient-friendly healthcare system in India.

For more details on Union Budget 2025, visit the Moneycontrol website.