At ₹13,679 crore, health sector gets ₹1,286 crore more in Telangana budget 2026-27; infrastructure and preventive care in focus

The Telangana government has proposed allocation of ₹13,679 crore for the Medical and Health department in the 2026-27 Budget; an increase of ₹ 1,286 crore compared to ₹ 12,393 crore allocated in the previous (2025-26) budget. This year’s allocation is higher than ₹ 11,468 crore in 2024-25 and ₹ 12,161 crore in 2023-24.

Presenting the budget in the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Friday, March 20, 2026, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the State government has given special priority to maternal and child health, youth health, control of chronic diseases and mental health.

“To improve access to specialized services, the government has established day care cancer centres, non-communicable disease (NCD) clinics, specialized clinics for senior citizens, palliative care centres, and maitri clinics for transgender persons in the district centre,” the minister said.

“In a major institutional reform, the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), which was hitherto functioning as a charitable donor institution with a capacity of 12,720 beds, will be transformed into a full-fledged government secondary health department,” he said.

The Minister also announced the rollout of a State-wide public health profiling system for all residents, describing it as an initiative not seen anywhere else in India. “Within this system, a health profile will be prepared for each individual and digital health cards will be issued on the basis of confidentiality in data management. Such systems are generally available only in developed countries and aim to strengthen preventive health and early intervention.”

On medical education and infrastructure, Mr. Vikramarka said that the previous government created an illusion by announcing medical, nursing and other colleges only on paper, while the current government has initiated construction work to make them a reality. Providing details of capacity expansion, he said there were 30,377 beds in government hospitals as of December 2023. The establishment of nine new government medical colleges has added 1,980 tertiary care beds, while 4,540 additional beds became available in 2024 after the current government assumed office.

The Deputy Chief Minister also said that by the end of 2026, 6,582 more tertiary care beds are expected to be added along with expansion of Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) hospitals in Sanathnagar, LB Nagar and Alwal, as well as Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and Warangal Multi Super Specialty Hospital. Additionally, the State has 12,720 beds in secondary level hospitals. With these additions, the total number of beds in state hospitals is expected to reach 44,029. “Telangana has significantly exceeded the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norm of one bed per 1,000 population,” Mr. Vikramarka said.

The government is also undertaking the construction of 17 medical colleges. He added that it has already opened nine new government medical colleges, 16 nursing colleges and 28 paramedical colleges to expand medical education.