Union Budget 2025: Health Ministry allocated Rs 99,858 crore, Daycare cancer centres in every district

New Delhi: The government has allocated Rs 99,858.56 crore for the healthcare sector in the 2025-2026 Budget, marking an 11% increase from the revised Rs 89,974.12 crore in FY 2024-25. This boost in funding will support key initiatives, including infrastructure expansion, the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and allocations for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.

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.

In addition to the increased funding, the government announced plans to establish daycare cancer centres at district hospitals across the country over the next three years, with 200 centres set to be established in the 2025-26 year alone.

Presenting the Budget for 2025-2026 on 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, reports PTI.

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.

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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 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, marking a rise of 23.6 per cent.

According to the PTI report, for the National Tele Mental Health Programme, the budgetary allocation has been increased from Rs 45 crore to Rs 79.6 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.

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