Five Medical Hubs, More Allied Care And AYUSH Workforce In FM Sitharaman's Budget

Last Updated:February 01, 2026, 12:10 IST

The measures include one lakh allied health professionals, 1.5 lakh caregivers, new Ayurveda institutes and upgraded labs to support care services and medical value tourism

A key pillar of the plan is the expansion of allied health professionals (AHPs), a category that supports doctors across diagnostics, therapy, critical care and behavioural health.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced a sweeping set of measures to build skilled career pathways in healthcare, with a sharp focus on allied health professionals, caregivers, medical value tourism and traditional medicine, as part of a broader push to strengthen India’s health workforce and care systems.

Presenting the proposals while reading the Union Budget, the minister said the government would intervene across the health sector to create new-age employment opportunities for young Indians while responding to rising demand for specialised care, geriatric services and integrated healthcare delivery.

A key pillar of the plan is the expansion of allied health professionals (AHPs), a category that supports doctors across diagnostics, therapy, critical care and behavioural health.

Existing institutions that train allied health professionals will be upgraded, and new AHP institutions will be established in both the public and private sectors. Training will span 10 selected disciplines, including optometry, radiology, anaesthesia technology, operation theatre technology, applied psychology and behavioural health.

The government, she said, aims to add one lakh allied health professionals over the next five years, addressing persistent workforce gaps in hospitals and clinics.

Alongside this, the Budget outlines the creation of a stronger care system focused on geriatric and allied care services. “A range of National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned allied programmes will be developed to train multi-skilled caregivers who can combine core caregiving with allied skills such as wellness yoga and the operation of medical assistive devices." Over the coming years, 1.5 lakh caregivers are expected to be trained, expanding support for ageing populations and long-term care needs.

Push to medical tourism & ayurveda

To position India as a destination for medical value tourism, the finance minister also proposed a new scheme to support states in setting up five regional medical hubs in partnership with the private sector. “These hubs will function as integrated healthcare complexes, bringing together medical education, research facilities, diagnostics, post-care and rehabilitation services." They will also house AYUSH centres and medical value tourism facilitation units, generating diverse employment opportunities for doctors, allied health professionals and support staff.

The Budget further builds on the global visibility of traditional medicine. Citing the international recognition yoga gained after being taken to the United Nations by the Prime Minister, and the growing acceptance of Ayurveda in the post-Covid period, Sitharaman announced steps to strengthen the sector. “These include setting up three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda (AIIA), upgrading AYUSH pharmacies and drug testing laboratories to meet higher certification standards, and expanding the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar to boost evidence-based research, training and awareness."

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