Gujarat assembly clears Rs25,403 crore health budget for FY27

The Gujarat Legislative Assembly has approved a Rs25,403 crore budget for the Health and Family Welfare Department for 2026–27, outlining a major push to expand public healthcare services across the state.Presenting the budget, Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said the allocation marks an 8.63% increase over the previous year, with an additional Rs2,017 crore aimed at improving healthcare access in remote and underserved regions.He said the government, led by CM Bhupendra Patel, is focused on ensuring quality healthcare services reach every citizen. Currently, the state operates 9,231 sub-health centres, 1,539 primary health centres, and 353 community health centres.To strengthen diagnostic services, free laboratory tests under the ‘Mukhyamantri Nidan Yojana’ will be expanded from 71 to 134. Additionally, 132 mobile healthcare units are operational to improve last-mile connectivity in rural areas.
A provision of Rs5,733.01 crore has been earmarked for family welfare programmes. Under maternal health initiatives, Rs15.62 crore has been allocated to procure 250 new ‘Khilkhilat’ vans, while financial assistance of Rs12,000 will be provided to pregnant and lactating women under the ‘Namo Shree Yojana’, benefiting an estimated 3.95 lakh women.Emergency services will also see a boost, with 71 ambulances set to be replaced under the 108 ambulance network, which caters to nearly 5,000 patients daily.
Under the PMJAY-MA scheme, the annual cashless treatment limit per family has been increased to Rs10 lakh, covering around 2,300 medical procedures. The scheme currently benefits about 2.73 crore people, with an allocation of Rs3,471.78 crore.The government has also allocated Rs9,877.16 crore for medical education. Gujarat now has 43 medical colleges, with MBBS seats rising to 7,525.
In a major infrastructure push, the state plans to develop large ‘Medicity’ projects in Ahmedabad (Vasai) and Surat (Kamrej), each featuring a 1,500-bed multi-speciality hospital with advanced cardiac, kidney, and cancer care facilities. These projects are expected to boost medical tourism and strengthen high-end treatment infrastructure.The budget also includes expansion of IVF services to government hospitals in Surat, Bhavnagar, and Jamnagar, along with plans to set up new Special Newborn Care Units to reduce neonatal mortality.For critical care, new radiotherapy centres will be established in Porbandar, Himmatnagar, Valsad, and Godhra, while satellite centres are planned to bring cancer and kidney treatment closer to patients.
In Rajkot, the existing P.D.U. Hospital will be replaced with a new 12-storey, 1,000-bed facility at an estimated cost of Rs360 crore.The minister also announced an increase in financial assistance under the ‘Nikshay Poshan Yojana’ for tuberculosis patients from Rs500 to Rs1,000 per month.Additional measures include setting up new district Ayurvedic offices in Vav-Tharad, Botad, and Porbandar, and allocating Rs10.17 crore to upgrade dialysis infrastructure by replacing old machines and installing new units across 282 centres.

(State Correspondent)