Daijiworld Media Network - Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar, Mar 18: The Gujarat Assembly has approved Rs 25,403.23 crore for the Health and Family Welfare Department for 2026-27, marking a major push to strengthen public healthcare across the state.
Presenting the budget, Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said the allocation reflects an 8.63 per cent increase over the previous year, with an additional Rs 2,017 crore aimed at improving healthcare access in remote areas.
He said the government, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, is committed to ensuring quality healthcare for every citizen. Currently, the state has 9,231 sub-health centres, 1,539 primary health centres, and 353 community health centres.
Diagnostic services will be expanded under the ‘Mukhyamantri Nidan Yojana’, with free lab tests increasing from 71 to 134. Additionally, 132 mobile healthcare units are operating in underserved regions to improve last-mile access.
A provision of Rs 5,733.01 crore has been allocated to the Family Welfare wing. Under maternal health initiatives, Rs 15.62 crore has been earmarked for procuring 250 ‘Khilkhilat’ vans. The ‘Namo Shree Yojana’ will provide Rs 12,000 assistance to pregnant and lactating women, benefiting around 3.95 lakh women.
The state’s 108 ambulance service, catering to nearly 5,000 patients daily, will be strengthened with the replacement of 71 ambulances.
Under the PMJAY-MA scheme, the annual cashless treatment limit per family has been raised to Rs 10 lakh, covering about 2,300 procedures and benefiting nearly 2.73 crore people, with an allocation of Rs 3,471.78 crore.
The minister said Rs 9,877.16 crore has been allocated for medical education, with the number of medical colleges rising from 41 to 43 and MBBS seats increasing to 7,525.
Major infrastructure projects include proposed ‘Medicity’ hubs in Ahmedabad (Vasai) and Surat (Kamrej), each with 1,500-bed multi-speciality hospitals equipped with advanced cardiac, kidney and cancer care facilities.
The government also plans to expand IVF services to public hospitals in Surat, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, while new Special Newborn Care Units will be set up to reduce neonatal mortality.
Radiotherapy centres will be established in Porbandar, Himmatnagar, Valsad and Godhra, along with satellite centres for cancer and kidney care.
In Rajkot, the existing P.D.U. Hospital will be replaced with a new 12-storey, 1,000-bed facility at a cost of Rs 360 crore.
Support under the ‘Nikshay Poshan Yojana’ for tuberculosis patients has been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per month. Additional measures include setting up new district Ayurvedic offices and upgrading dialysis infrastructure across 282 centres.
The Assembly passed the full budgetary demands for the department for the financial year 2026-27.