The cost of heart and kidney disease treatment is expected to come down following the withdrawal of VAT and taxes on heart rings, dialysis filters and other life-saving medical equipment in the proposed national budget for FY2026-27.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the measures, proposed in his budget speech in Parliament on Thursday, are aimed at reducing the financial burden on patients requiring critical care.

Under the proposal, the existing 10% VAT imposed at the supplier level on heart rings (stents) has been withdrawn. As a result, the price of each heart ring is expected to decrease by up to around Taka 20,000, easing treatment costs for cardiac patients.

In the case of kidney patients, the 15% VAT and 5% advance tax (AT) on the import of dialysis filters have been withdrawn. This is expected to reduce the price of dialysis filters and lower the overall cost of regular dialysis treatment.

According to estimates, the cost of a single dialysis session may decrease by around Tk800 per patient due to the tax relief.

Besides, the existing 7.5% advance tax on the import of hemodialysis blood tubing sets-used in kidney treatment-has also been withdrawn.

Officials said the combined measures are expected to ease out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure and provide relief to patients suffering from cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

The Finance Minister placed a Tk9.38 lakh crore national budget for FY2026-27 in Parliament on Thursday, which is considered the largest budget in the country’s history.

The budget allocates Tk69,409 crore to the health sector, nearly doubling last year’s revised allocation and reflecting the government’s increased emphasis on healthcare development and human resource capacity building.