Telangana’s Health, Medical, and Family Welfare Department’s budget outlay for the fiscal year 2024-25 saw a cutback compared to the previous year. The current budget stands at ₹ 11,500 crore, marking a decrease of ₹661 crore from the 2023-24 budget of ₹12,161 crore.

While presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu acknowledged the success of the Rajiv Arogyasree scheme, where the Congress government has doubled the threshold for medical treatment from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakhs, aiming to alleviate the financial burden on families facing higher medical costs.

Addressing infrastructure concerns, the minister assured that the government would prioritise the completion of super-specialty hospitals, medical and nursing colleges which are currently in various stages of construction. “The Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) is slated for expansion, with the government committing to providing necessary assistance to enhance the institute’s services. Additionally, plans include the construction of a new building for the Osmania General Hospital (OGH),” he said.

– Siddharth Kumar Singh