India reviews health budget rollout, sets trauma care upgrade timeline

It aims to add 100,000 Allied Health Professionals across 10 disciplines over five years.

India has reviewed progress on health sector initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2026 to 2027, focusing on implementation timelines and inter-ministerial coordination.

On emergency and trauma care, a gap analysis of District Hospitals against Indian Public Health Standards has been completed, categorising 613 hospitals for phased upgrades.

Phase I covers 160 hospitals targeted for completion by March 2027, Phase II covers 203, and Phase III covers the remaining 250.

On the allied health workforce, the government aims to add 100,000 Allied Health Professionals across 10 disciplines over five years.

Under Biopharma SHAKTI, a proposed US$52.9m (₹500-crore) initiative, the government is building a network of more than 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites through a hub-and-spoke model, alongside a central trial facilitation agency and site accreditation framework.

Five Regional Medical Hubs have been proposed, targeting five disease areas including dyslipidaemia, generalised anxiety disorder, cardiovascular disease, insomnia and osteoarthritis.

On drug regulation, an Expert Committee has submitted its report on strengthening the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's workforce structure, including position counts and pay levels, to support a dedicated scientific review cadre.

Regarding mental health, an Expert Committee has submitted its report on NIMHANS-II, envisioned as a 1,000-bed facility.

The Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, and the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, are being upgraded into Regional Apex Institutions with expanded psychiatry, neurology and neurosurgery capacity.

The review also referenced plans to train 150,000 caregivers alongside the District Hospital upgrades. The meeting included Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, Department of Health Research Secretary Rajiv Bahl, and other senior ministry officials.