By Dr. Simon Thomas, Senior Director – Robotic Joint Replacements & Orthopaedics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh
India’s healthcare is at a pivotal junction. On one hand, the country has outperformed in terms of capacity expansion, digital adoption, and catering to a huge aging population, irrespective of economic gaps. Additionally, we welcome the September 2025 GST removal on individual health insurance, thereby making robotic knee/hip replacements at Max Hospital more accessible for early-stage osteoarthritis patients aged below 35 years. We still need to address challenges that stem from workforce deficit, medical inflation, and infrastructure development.
“As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, the government should aim to prioritize decisive investments in advanced ortho technologies such as robotic joint replacements, AI-powered automation and workflow like predictive imaging, and specialist training, thereby reducing recovery times and expenses incurred on hospitals while embedding Max Healthcare’s promise of frontline, accessible care via ‘Heal in India.”