Despite push for infra, health allocation shrinks to three-year low
The Saini government has allocated only 4.72% of its total expenditure to Health and Family Welfare for 2025-26, marking a drop from 5.02% in 2024-25 and 4.74% in 2023-24, as per the Budget documents of respective years. This is the lowest health allocation in the past three years, even as the government pushes for infrastructure expansion in the sector.
Despite the reduced share, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced key initiatives, including the establishment of nine ultramodern maternal and child health centres in district hospitals at Panchkula, Panipat, Faridabad, Sonepat, Palwal, Sirsa, Kaithal, Mahendragarh and the Medical College in Nuh.
The government has also approved the upgrade of district hospitals in Palwal, Rohtak and Charkhi Dadri, along with Al Afia District Hospital in Mandikhera (Nuh), from 100 to 200 beds.
Expansion in healthcare facilities
“In the financial year 2025-26, I propose to upgrade the district hospitals of Hisar and Panipat from 200 to 300 beds and the district hospital of Jhajjar from 100 to 200 beds,” said CM Saini.
Additionally, a 50-bed critical care block will be set up in every district hospital and government medical college, bolstering emergency care infrastructure.
For trauma care, the Centre has allocated Rs 201.59 crore for 2025-26 to fund 70 advanced life support ambulances and infrastructural improvements in district hospitals across 14 districts, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, Mewat, Rewari, Mahendragarh, Jind, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Jhajjar and Charkhi Dadri.
Day care centres for cancer patients, currently operating in Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar and Faridabad, will be extended to all 17 remaining districts.
Boost to medical education
Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Government Medical College (Bhiwani) and Maharishi Chyawan Medical College (Koriawas) will begin their academic sessions in 2025-26.
“We will soon apply for permission from the National Medical Commission,” Saini announced.
The expansion of medical education will see 300 additional MBBS seats in 2025-26. Meanwhile, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayaya University of Health Sciences (Kutail) and its newly constructed 750-bed super specialty hospital will commence operations next year.
A Centre of Excellence for Preventive Health will also be established at Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College and Hospital, Nuh.
Ayush & alternative medicine
The government will initiate the construction of Shri Krishna Ayush University in Kurukshetra's Fatuhpur village, spread over 100 acres. The university will offer 63 BAMS seats, 82 postgraduate seats and 63 diploma seats in pharmacy.
Additionally, 421 Ayush dispensaries and 111 sub-health centres have been upgraded to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
The total allocation for health in 2025-26 stands at Rs 10,159.54 crore. However, experts believe states should prioritise direct spending on manpower and healthcare infrastructure rather than relying on Central schemes.
“The states should allocate more resources to health infrastructure. What has been seen is that the states rely more on Centre funds under flagship programmes. But significant expenditure should be made on increasing manpower,” said Prof Aswini Nanda, health economist.
