Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget 2024 in Parliament, announced exemption in customs duty on three additional cancer drugs, aimed at reducing the financial burden on patients.

The Health Minister also elaborated on the changes made in the basic customs duty (BCD) on X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors used in medical X-ray machines under the phased manufacturing programme to “enhance domestic production capacity.”

These measures are part of the Government’s comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing the affordability and accessibility of healthcare while supporting local manufacturing and innovation in the medical sector.

The establishment of new medical colleges in Bihar was also announced in the Parliament.

This year, the Union Health Ministry has been allocated Rs 90,658.63 crore, which is 12.59% higher than the Revised Estimate of Rs 80,517.62 crore in the Budget 2023-2024.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare will receive Rs 87,656.90 crore and the Department of Health Research will receive Rs 3,301.73 crore.

Reacting to the government’s move, health sector experts have said that this is a step towards reducing the burden of expensive treatment for cancer patients.

Dr Harsh Mahajan, founder and chairman of Mahajan Imaging and Labs, and Dr Shyam Agarwal, chairman of medical oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, called it a welcome move as it would “boost indigenous manufacturing of digital X-ray machines in India.”

The three cancer drugs exempted from customs duty are trastuzumab deruxtecan, osimertinib and durvalumab.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan: It is an antibody-drug conjugate used primarily to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). It is also being studied for use in other types of cancer, such as gastric cancer.

Osimertinib: It is a targeted therapy used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with specific mutations in the EGFR gene. It is particularly effective against cancers that have developed resistance to previous generations of EGFR inhibitors.

Durvalumab: It is an immunotherapy drug that works by blocking the PD-L1 protein, thereby helping the immune system attack cancer cells. It is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer).

Dr Mandeep Singh Malhotra, director of surgical oncology at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi, said exempting these drugs from basic customs duty would reduce their import cost, making them more affordable for patients.

“This may improve access to advanced cancer treatments, reduce the financial burden on patients and their families, and improve treatment outcomes by allowing more patients to benefit from these effective treatments,” Dr. Malhotra said.

According to Dr Kunal Sehgal, Managing Director and Chief Pathologist, Neuberg Sehgal Path Lab, this decision is a significant step in addressing the growing challenge of chronic diseases, especially cancer, which is emerging as a significant public health problem in India.

Dr Sehgal said, “By exempting these essential medicines from customs duty, the government aims to reduce the financial burden on families affected by cancer and ensure that patients receive timely treatment without the additional burden of high medical costs.”

Dr. Kunjal Patel, molecular oncopathologist at the Newberg Center for Genomics, said that apart from enhancing the overall quality of healthcare, discounts on cancer drugs and medical devices help in the fight against cancer across the country.

Dr Sanjeev Singh, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, said the proposed changes in basic customs duty for X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors will boost domestic manufacturing of essential medical devices, leading to better access and lower costs.

Dr Singh said, “The government’s commitment to building new medical colleges is also commendable as it will help bridge the gap between medical education and health services.”

Dr Aakar Kapoor, CEO and Chief Medical Consultant, City-X Ray & Scan Clinic, said the change in basic customs duty for X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors used in medical X-ray machines will boost domestic manufacturing.

During the Interim Budget 2024 in February, Sitharaman announced expanding healthcare coverage under the Ayushman Bharat scheme to include ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers. The U-WIN platform will be implemented across the country to manage vaccination and Mission Indradhanush.

Sitharaman also encouraged girls aged 9 to 14 in India to get vaccinated against cervical cancer.