Budget 2026: NATHEALTH urges higher healthcare spending, flags rising NCD burden

NATHEALTH urges the government to increase public healthcare spending to over 2.5% of GDP in the Union Budget 2026, emphasizing the need to address the rising burden of non-communicable diseases. The industry body also proposed a Rs 50,000 crore healthcare infrastructure fund and tax deductions for preventive health check-ups to strengthen the sector and foster innovation.