Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented the General Budget 2026 in Parliament on 1 February. Many announcements have been made for the fields of education and employment. These include announcements like 3 new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), 3 new India Institutes of Ayurveda (AIIAs), five new university townships, a new National Institute of Design (NID), a National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS-2) in North India and the addition of 1 lakh Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).
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1 lakh jobs for healthcare professionals
Presenting Budget 2026, the Finance Minister said that the existing Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHPs) will be upgraded and new Allied Healthcare Institutes will be opened in the private and government sectors. It will cover 10 selected subject areas including optometry, radiology, anesthesia, OT technology, applied psychology and behavioral health. The government has announced to add 100,000 AHPs in the next 5 years. For this, one lakh allied health professionals will be added i.e. one lakh jobs will be created in this sector.
Who are Allied Health Professionals?
The role of allied health professionals is very important in the healthcare sector. These are not doctors or nurses, but work closely with them. These are also called paramedical or supporting health care professionals. In simple words, technicians and assistants in hospitals or other health centers are called Allied Health Professionals.
What is the work of Allied Health Professionals?
Just as doctors and nurses play an important role in health care centres, similarly allied health professionals are also an important link. Because their job is to test samples and prepare reports, take care of patients, give therapy, assist during surgery, make diet plans etc.
How to become Allied Health Professionals?
If you have passed 12th from Science stream PCB (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) then you can prepare to become Allied Health Professionals. After 12th Science, through entrance exam, one can do courses like DMLT, DOT or DRIT from a recognized medical institute, which is a 2 to 3 year diploma course. Apart from this, one can pursue degree courses of 3.5 to 5 years duration like B.Sc Medical Lab Technician, B.Sc Radiology, B.Sc Optometry. After this, there are also options for M.Sc or PG Diploma.
There are two standards of eligibility under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Act 2021. For Allied Health Professionals, after 12th, a 2 to 4 year diploma or degree in the relevant field is sought. To become healthcare professionals, it is necessary to do a degree course of 3 to 6 years in the related field. After completing the course, job offers are available in private and government hospitals or clinics.
