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

The Telangana government has proposed an allocation of ₹13,679 crore for the Medical and Health department in the 2026-27 Budget, an increase of ₹1,286 crore compared to the ₹12,393 crore allocated in previous financial year (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 is giving special priority to maternal and child health, youth health, control of chronic diseases, and mental healthcare.

The Minister said that to improve access to specialised services, the government has established day care cancer centres, non-communicable disease (NCD) clinics, special clinics for senior citizens, palliative care centres, and maitri clinics for transgender persons at district headquarters. 

“In a key institutional reform, the Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP), which has so far functioned as a grant-in-aid institution with a bed capacity of 12,720, will be transformed into a full-fledged government secondary healthcare 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 elsewhere in India. “Under this system, a health profile will be prepared for every individual and digital health cards will be issued, with strict confidentiality maintained in data management. Such systems are typically available only in developed countries and are aimed at strengthening preventive healthcare and early intervention,” he added.

On medical education and infrastructure, Mr. Vikramarka said the previous government had created an illusion by announcing medical, nursing, and other colleges only on paper, while the present government has initiated civil works 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 further said that by the end of 2026, Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) hospitals at Sanathnagar, LB Nagar, and Alwal, along with the expansion of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and the Warangal Multi Super Speciality Hospital, are expected to add another 6,582 tertiary care beds. In addition, the State has 12,720 beds in secondary care hospitals. With these additions, the total number of beds in State government hospitals is projected to reach 44,029. “Telangana has significantly exceeded the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norm of one bed per 1,000 population,” said Mr. Vikramarka.

The government is also taking up the construction of 17 medical colleges. To expand medical education, it has already started nine new government medical colleges, 16 nursing colleges, and 28 paramedical colleges, he added.