Budget: Health Ministry gets 10 per cent rise in allocation, 5 regional medical hubs; training AHPs, caregivers in focus

NEw new delhi, The unification wellness Ministry has been allocated ₹1,06,530.42 crore in the Budget 2026-27, a 10 per cent hike up o'er 2025-26, with the government proposing a scheme to support states in establishing five regional medical hubs in partnership with the private sector to promote India as a prime medical tourism destination.These hubs will serve as integrated healthcare complexes that combine medical, educational and research facilities, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while presenting the Union Budget for 2026-27 on Sunday.The minister said that existing institutions for Allied Healthcare Professionals will be upgraded and new AHP institutions established in private and government sectors."This will cover 10 selected disciplines, including Optometry, Radiology, Anaesthesia, OT technology, Applied Psychology and Behavioural Health, and add 100,000 AHPs over the next five years," she said.Sitharaman said that a strong care ecosystem, covering geriatric and allied care services, will be built and, in the coming year, 1.5 lakh caregivers will be trained in allied skills, such as wellness, yoga and operation of medical and assistive devices.Of the ₹1,06,530.42 crore allocated for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, ₹101,709.21 crore has been earmarked for the Department of Health and Family Welfare and ₹4,821.21 crore for the Department of Health Research.For the first time, the Union Health Ministry has allocated ₹1,000 crore for the Scheme for Allied Health Care Professionals .Among the centrally sponsored schemes, the allocation for the National Health Mission has been increased from ₹37100.07 crore in 2025-36 to ₹39,390 crore in 2026-27. Moreover, the allocation for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna has been hiked from 8,995 crore to ₹9,500 crore, marking a rise of 5.6 per cent.For the National Tele Mental Health Programme, the budgetary allocation has been increased marginally from ₹45 crore to ₹51 crore while the National Digital Health Mission has been earmarked ₹350 crore from ₹324.26 crore in the 2026-27 fiscal.The budgetary allocation for autonomous bodies increased from ₹21,901.98 crore in 2024-25 to ₹22,343.97 crore in 2026-27.The allocation for AIIMS, New Delhi, has been increased from ₹5,238.70 crore to ₹5500.92 crore, while the ICMR has been earmarked ₹4821.21 crore, recording around a 10 per cent increase.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.