The Uttar Pradesh government has rolled out its budget for 2026-27 on February 11, 2026, with a total expenditure of Rs 9.12 lakh crore, registering a growth of over 12 per cent from the last fiscal year. In this budget, the focus on healthcare has become one of the key areas. The budget allocated to the Medical, Health and Family Welfare Department is Rs 37,956 crore, registering a growth of 15 per cent from Rs 32,995 crore in 2025-26. This allocation is approximately 4.2 per cent of the total budget of the state.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing the media after the budget announcement, said, “This budget is a testament to our commitment to providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to every citizen of Uttar Pradesh. We have worked towards improving infrastructure, medical education and access to healthcare in the past few years”. The Chief Minister further added that the healthcare reforms are an integral part of the vision of a ‘Viksit Uttar Pradesh’, in line with the state expected Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Rs 30.25 lakh crore.
Expanding medical education and workforce capacity
A significant part of the health budget is the allocation of Rs 14,997 crore for medical education. Uttar Pradesh currently has 81 medical colleges, consisting of 45 government and 36 private colleges. This is a substantial increase from the 2017 levels, when the number of medical colleges was less than half the current number. The government has also implemented Public-Private Partnership models to set up medical colleges in 16 underserved districts, ensuring equal distribution of healthcare infrastructure. To enhance medical educational capacity, Rs 1,023 crore has been allocated exclusively for the development of 14 new medical colleges.
These efforts have resulted in a substantial increase in medical education capacity. The number of MBBS seats in Uttar Pradesh has increased from 4,540 in 2017 to 12,800 in present time, while postgraduate seats have increased to 4,995. This is a growing step towards addressing the age-old problem of a shortage of doctors and improving the doctor-population ratio in the state. Health Minister Brajesh Pathak highlighted the importance of this expansion, “Strengthening medical education is the foundation of improving healthcare services. By increasing the number of colleges and seats, we are ensuring that Uttar Pradesh produces enough trained doctors and specialists to serve its people”.
सुदृढ़ स्वास्थ्य व्यवस्था – स्वस्थ उत्तर प्रदेश
वित्तीय वर्ष 2026–27 के बजट में प्रदेश की चिकित्सा, स्वास्थ्य एवं परिवार कल्याण सेवाओं के सशक्त विस्तार हेतु महत्वपूर्ण प्रावधान किए गए हैं। हमारा लक्ष्य है कि प्रदेश का प्रत्येक नागरिक सुलभ, गुणवत्तापूर्ण और किफायती स्वास्थ्य… pic.twitter.com/xOITfKjwp7
— Brajesh Pathak (@brajeshpathakup) February 11, 2026
Strengthening rural health systems and insurance coverage
The National Rural Health Mission(NRHM), which is one of the main support pillars of rural health care has been allocated Rs 8,641 crore in the budget for 2026-27. The government has also continued its support for health insurance schemes for the vulnerable sections of society. The Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission has been allocated Rs 2,000 crore, while the state-run Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme has been allocated Rs 500 crore. The state-run scheme alone protects 49.22 lakh families.
These programs ensure that economically weaker sections of society can also avail themselves of the best medical facilities without having to worry about the cost implications.
Focus on disease control and specialized care
The budget also has specific allocations for dealing with certain health issues. Rs 315 crore has been allocated to the Cancer Institute in Lucknow, which will enhance the specialized treatment services. Rs 130 crore has been allocated for incurable and chronic diseases, which will increase the availability of modern treatments. Mental health care has also been given importance. The District Mental Health Programs are now functional in all 75 districts of the state. This is because the importance of mental health as a crucial part of public healthcare is being increasingly recognized.
Preventive healthcare services remain an integral part of the healthcare system. The Japanese Encephalitis vaccination drive is currently being conducted in 42 districts. The Pulse Polio immunization drive has already vaccinated 3.28 crore children since December 2024.
Long-term growth in health spending
The healthcare expenditure in Uttar Pradesh has been showing a steady rise over the past few years. The allocation has been raised from Rs 27,086 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 32,995 crore in 2025-26 and now to Rs 37,956 crore in 2026-27. This is an indication of a compound annual growth rate of 18 percent since 2024-25, which is much higher than the overall budget growth rate of 11-13 percent.
The per capita health expenditure has also shown an increase to nearly Rs 1,600 for the population of about 24 crores in the state. This is a major improvement over the past years, showing the commitment of the government to improving access to healthcare. The health expenditure has tripled since 2017, owing to the experiences gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. The expenditure on oxygen plants, hospitals and disease surveillance systems has improved the state’s readiness for any future public health crisis.
Infrastructure development and capital investment
Capital expenditure is still an important part of the health budget. Almost 19.5 percent of the total budget is allocated to capital expenditure, including the construction of hospitals, medical colleges and diagnostic centers. The purpose of such expenditures is to develop robust healthcare infrastructure that can sustain the next generation.
Government programs like Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana ensure that all deliveries are cashless and child health teams functioning at the block level enhance maternal and child health outcomes. Such initiatives are important for the overall development of society, including the reduction of multidimensional poverty that affects millions of people. While increasing expenditure on healthcare, the Uttar Pradesh state government has been able to maintain fiscal discipline. The fiscal deficit is under control and the increase in budgetary allocations has been done in a gradual manner.
Health Minister Brajesh Pathak said, “This budget enhances every dimension of healthcare, from prevention to treatment and medical education. Our aim is to develop a robust healthcare system for all classes of citizens”. The balanced strategy ensures that the expansion of welfare is accompanied by development of infrastructure and institutions.
Transforming healthcare delivery in Uttar Pradesh
The collective effect of enhanced expenditure, development of infrastructure and policy changes has started to bring a paradigm shift in the healthcare sector in the state. The development of more medical colleges will help mitigate the shortage of manpower in the long run, while the insurance programs will immediately provide financial security to families.
Preventive programs, immunization camps and control programs for diseases have helped improve health outcomes and lower mortality rates due to communicable diseases. Expenditure on specialized institutes will ensure that quality medical care is available in the state. This vision has been shared by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who said, “The aim is to develop a healthcare system where every citizen, whether living in a village or an urban area, has access to modern medical facilities. This budget will help us lay stronger foundations for this”.
Cm Yogi Adityanath ने बता दिया Budget 2026 में हेल्थ सेक्टर के लिए क्या है सबसे खास.. #budget2026 #yogiadityanath #cmyogi #budgetsession #upnews #uppolitics #UPVidhansabha pic.twitter.com/lc4rSzLSLo
— UP Tak (@UPTakOfficial) February 12, 2026
Building a sustainable public health future
The health budget for Uttar Pradesh in 2026-27 is a result of a holistic and evidence-based approach towards the development of public healthcare in the state. With enhanced spending on medical education, insurance, infrastructure and disease control, the state government has set the tone for improved healthcare delivery in the years to come.
Through a combination of expanded spending and reforms in the healthcare sector, Uttar Pradesh is poised to strengthen its healthcare system to address both current and future requirements. The focus on capacity development, preventive healthcare and equal access will ensure that healthcare remains a core focus area of the development agenda of the state. The steady increase in health spending not only indicates the commitment of the state government but also its vision to bring about a positive change in the public healthcare outcomes of the state’s citizens.
