New Delhi: Union Health Ministry has been allocated Rs 99,858.56 crore in the Budget 2025-2026, an around 11 per cent hike over the Rs 89,974.12 crore in the budget (revised estimates) of 2024-2025 with the government announcing setting up daycare cancer centres at all district hospitals over the next three years.
Two hundred of these daycare cancer centres would be established in the 2025-26 fiscal itself.
Presenting the Budget for 2025-2026 Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said 10,000 seats will be added in medical colleges next year towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next five years.
As a relief on the import of drugs/medicines, 36 lifesaving drugs for treating cancer, rare diseases and chronic diseases have been fully exempted from basic customs duty (BCD). The government had earlier cut customs duty on Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib and Durvalumab from 10 per cent to zero.
Further, 37 medicines along with 13 new drugs and medicines under Patient Assistance Programmes have been exempted from BCD, if supplied free to patients.
The finance minister further announced that gig workers will be provided healthcare facilities under PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) that would benefit nearly 1 crore such workers.
Medical tourism and ‘Heal in India’ will be promoted in partnership with the private sector along with capacity building and easier visa norms, Sitharaman said in her speech.
The budgetary allocation for the AYUSH ministry has been increased from Rs 3,497.64 crore to Rs 3,992.90 crore, recording a 14.15 per cent increase.
Of the Rs 99,858.56 crore allocated for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Rs 95,957.87 crore have been earmarked for the Department of Health and Family Welfare and Rs 3,900.69 crore to the Department of Health Research.
Among the centrally sponsored schemes, the allocation for the National Health Mission has been increased from Rs 36,000.00 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 37,226.92 crore in 2025-26. Moreover, the allocation for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB PM-JAY) has been hiked from Rs 7,605.54 crore to Rs 9,406.00 crore.
For the National Tele Mental Health Programme, the budgetary allocation has been increased from Rs 45 crore to Rs 79.60 crore while the National Digital Health Mission has been earmarked Rs 340.11 crore from Rs 225 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal.
The budgetary allocation for autonomous bodies increased from Rs 18978.72 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 20,046.07 crore in 2025-26. The allocation for AIIMS, New Delhi, has been increased from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 5,200 crore while ICMR has been earmarked Rs 3125.50 crore as against Rs 2,869.99 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal.
PTI
