Saralnama
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has welcomed the GST Council's decision to reduce GST on several cancer-related and essential medicines, calling it a vital step to make healthcare more affordable for millions in India. The IMA expressed gratitude to the government and highlighted that lowering GST on medical equipment would reduce operational costs for hospitals and clinics, thereby easing treatment expenses for patients. The association noted that the move would help families facing financial burdens from serious illnesses like cancer, chronic kidney disease, and infections. While appreciating the reduction, the IMA urged the government to fully exempt GST on a broader range of lifesaving medicines, including anti-cancer drugs, insulin, cardiac medicines, and treatments for chronic respiratory and rare diseases. The IMA also raised concerns about procedural difficulties in GST and TAN registrations for its branches and requested the Council to address these issues. Additionally, the association recommended removing GST on hospital beds and health insurance premiums to further reduce healthcare costs and encourage insurance adoption. The IMA concluded by thanking the GST Council for its patient-centric approach and expressed hope that its additional demands would be considered to strengthen public health infrastructure. (Updated 25 Aug 2025, 12:37 IST; source: link)