SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 2: The Jharkhand health minister and doctors’ associations have expressed contrasting views on the health agenda announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2026–27.
While Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari termed the budget as ignoring Jharkhand’s healthcare needs, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Jharkhand chapter welcomed it, saying it would provide major relief to patients.
IMA Welcomes Budget Provisions
IMA state secretary Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh, in a statement issued late Sunday evening, said the medical fraternity welcomed the health budget as it offered significant relief to patients suffering from chronic diseases.
He said the prices of essential medicines, especially diabetes-related drugs and 17 cancer medicines, have been reduced, which would greatly benefit patients. He also pointed out that Ranchi’s Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) would benefit as the budget has announced the upgradation of select mental health institutions.
‘Cheating With Jharkhand’: Health Minister
However, Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari strongly criticised the health agenda of the Union Budget, calling it a “cheating case” with Jharkhand and its people.
He said people of Jharkhand had high expectations of an announcement for a new AIIMS in the state, but the budget brought disappointment. “We have been demanding one more AIIMS for a long time, but Jharkhand has been ignored,” he said.
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The minister further alleged that no concrete provision has been made for the development of healthcare infrastructure in Jharkhand. “Only speeches have been made on health, without solutions at the ground level. AIIMS Delhi has been allotted additional funds of Rs 5,500 crore, but AIIMS Deoghar has not received a single penny,” he added.
Special Benefit for Ranchi: IMA
IMA state coordinator Dr Ajay Kumar Singh described the budget as beneficial for Ranchi. He said that two mental health institutes in the country have been selected for upgradation under the budget, one of which is CIP Ranchi, while the other is in Tezpur, Assam.
He said CIP Ranchi is planned to be upgraded on the lines of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. “Many other institutes have been ignored, but CIP Ranchi has been selected. Therefore, the budget should be welcomed in the interest of Jharkhand,” he said.
IMA National Body Expresses Concern
Meanwhile, Deoghar-based IMA national vice-president Dr D. Tiwari expressed dissatisfaction over the overall health allocation in the Union Budget.
He said it was a matter of concern that a country like Afghanistan allocates nearly 20 per cent of its budget to health, while India has allocated only around 5 per cent. He added that no concrete steps have been taken to strengthen healthcare infrastructure at the level of Community Health Centres (CHCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs), or single-doctor clinics, while the corporate healthcare sector continues to be promoted.
