By Admin 
The country’s general budget will be presented on 1 February 2026. This will be the ninth consecutive budget of Finance Minister Nitin Nirmala Sitharaman, which is a big record in itself. This time, the highest expectations from the budget are being placed on the health sector. In fact, after the Corona epidemic, it has become clear that the foundation of a strong economy of any country rests on a strong health system. Even today in India, the cost of treatment remains a big problem for the common man. Due to lack of facilities in government hospitals and expensive treatment in private hospitals, it is believed that the government may increase the expenditure on the health sector in Budget 2026. In such a situation, let us now tell you what is the plan to make India a global health center and after this how big will be the health budget of the country?
India’s health expenditure is still less than the world
If seen globally, India still spends less on health services. In developed countries, health constitutes a large part of GDP, whereas India’s expenditure is considered less than many developing countries. According to the World Bank’s 2022 report, India spends only 3 to 4 percent of its GDP on health services. Whereas in America this expenditure is about 17 to 18 percent. Although in the last few years, the government has focused on digital health, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, expansion of medical colleges and affordable medicines, but the need is still increasing.
What did the health sector get in the last budget?
In the budget for the financial year 2025-26, the Health Ministry had made a provision of about Rs 1 lakh crore, which was about 11 percent more than last year. In this, expansion of Ayushman Bharat scheme, exemption in custom duty on cancer medicines, extra funds for new medical colleges and institutions like AIIMS were announced. This makes it clear that the health sector is already included in the priorities of the government.
What is expected from Budget 2026?
There are great expectations regarding the health sector from the Budget 2026 to be released on 1st February. Because it plays an important role in deciding the direction of the health services of the country. Experts believe that if the government increases the health budget, it will strengthen primary health services and improve the availability of infrastructure, modern equipment and medicines in government hospitals. Apart from this, it is expected from Budget 2026 that the government will increase the number and facilities of government hospitals and strengthen the health insurance structure in rural areas. It will make medicines more affordable and expand the scope of schemes like Ayushman Bharat. Apart from this, expansion of health insurance coverage, preventive care, investment in digital health and medical research are also likely to be included in the major priorities of this budget. Greater allocation for healthcare infrastructure, technology and preventive services will improve patient outcomes, especially in tier-II and tier-III cities. There is also a widespread expectation that special attention will be paid to women and child health.
Also read: Health sector has big expectations from Budget 2026, know on which things there is a demand for focus this time.
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