New Delhi, Oct 26: Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shatrughan Sinha today said life-saving drugs and equipments should be brought out of the tax net. He said his Ministry had taken up the matter with the Finance Ministry and was hopeful of an encouraging response. Releasing CII-McKinsey Study on Healthcare, Sinha said "excessive cost of these is responsible for many people discontinuing their treatment". The lowering or withdrawal of taxes would bring the prices of such drugs within affordable range for the masses, he said adding his Ministry was also keen that insulin used by Diabetics be kept out of tax net. Asked about the industry`s demand for setting up of a task force, he said his Ministry would look into the suggestions made in the study and added that he favoured public-private partnership to make healthcare available for all.



On spurious drugs, he said, a meeting of State Health Ministers has been called on Nov 12 to discuss the matter.



"We will be talking to top level scientists, doctors and social activists and try to arrive at a consensus on tackling the problem," the Minister added.



Bureau Report