Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 4: The recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms are being hailed by healthcare industry experts as a game-changer that will make medical treatment and essential healthcare products significantly more affordable and accessible for the general public.

Following the GST Council’s decision to simplify the tax structure — eliminating the 12% and 28% slabs while retaining only the 5% and 18% brackets — life-saving drugs, medical devices, and health-related products have seen a steep rate cut, with some now taxed at 5% and others at zero.

Most notably, 33 cancer drugs and rare disease medications have been exempted entirely from GST, dropping from 12% to 0%. The revised rates for services will come into effect from September 22.

Welcoming the move, Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator of the Association of the Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD), called it a "path-breaking announcement" that would directly benefit consumers by easing healthcare costs. “Affordability and accessibility will improve, especially for patients burdened by high medical bills,” he said.

Morepen Laboratories Managing Director Sushil Suri echoed the sentiment, describing the long-awaited reform as “a big bonus for the common people.” He noted that a wide range of medicines has seen tax reductions from 12% or 18% down to 5%.

Himanshu Baid, Managing Director of Polymedicure, highlighted how the reform will also make home care essentials like thermometers, glucometers, blood pressure monitors, bandages, and diagnostic kits more affordable. “The middle-class and lower-middle-class population, who were struggling with high prices, will now see a huge relief,” Baid said.

Overall, the GST revisions are expected to bring measurable savings to households, especially for those managing chronic illnesses or relying on at-home care, while also encouraging wider access to critical healthcare services.