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India Expands Healthcare and Medical Education: PM Modi Highlights Major Initiatives at Post-Budget Webinar
The webinar, attended by 29 ministries, over 100 panelists, and more than 25,000 participants, focused on translating the Union Budget 2025-26 provisions into actionable policies. Discussions revolved around expanding medical education, improving digital healthcare, strengthening cancer care, and positioning India as a global medical tourism hub. PM Modi set the tone for the session stating: “The theme of the webinar, ‘Investing in People,’ defines the roadmap of Viksit Bharat,
- By Pooja Chaturvedi Sah
- New Delhi
- Mar 06, 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out an ambitious vision for India’s healthcare and medical education sectors during the Post-Budget Webinar on “Investing in People.” Addressing the gathering via video conference, he emphasized that education, skill development, and healthcare are the three pillars on which India will build its future and realize the dream of Viksit Bharat (Developed India).
The webinar, attended by 29 ministries, over 100 panelists, and more than 25,000 participants, focused on translating the Union Budget 2025-26 provisions into actionable policies. Discussions revolved around expanding medical education, improving digital healthcare, strengthening cancer care, and positioning India as a global medical tourism hub.
PM Modi set the tone for the session stating: “The theme of the webinar, ‘Investing in People,’ defines the roadmap of Viksit Bharat, and the impact of this theme can be seen at a large level on the budget. The budget has emerged as the blueprint of India’s future, where investing in people, the economy, and innovation has been given equal priority to investment in infrastructure and industry.”
Medical Education Expansion: 75,000 Additional Seats in Five Years
One of the key announcements from the webinar was the massive expansion of medical education in India. PM Modi underscored the need to train more healthcare professionals to meet rising demand and improve medical accessibility. He announced:
“In the budget, 10,000 additional medical seats have been announced, and the government is working with the target of adding 75,000 seats in medical education in the next five years.”
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda provided further details, highlighting the remarkable growth in medical institutions over the past decade: “Since 2014, the number of medical colleges has surged from 387 to 780 today. Undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats have increased by 130% and 135%, respectively.”
To address faculty shortages and infrastructure constraints, the government is exploring multiple solutions, including:
• Faculty pooling among medical institutions to optimize resources.
• Hiring retired professors as visiting faculty to address teaching gaps.
• Revising medical curricula to include Artificial Intelligence (AI), telemedicine, and digital healthcare innovations.
• Early clinical exposure for students to gain hands-on experience.
• Emphasizing soft skills such as patient communication and ethics to improve the quality of medical professionals.
Union Minister Nadda further stressed that “There is a need for creating a curriculum that is more vibrant, meaningful, and fit to current challenges. We must ensure optimum utilization of existing infrastructure and medical faculty while focusing on training students in empathy and ethics.”
Decentralizing Cancer Treatment: Day Care Cancer Centers in Every District
With cancer cases on the rise in India, the government announced a nationwide expansion of Day Care Cancer Centers (DCCCs) to bring cancer treatment closer to patients. PM Modi said “Through day-care cancer centres and digital healthcare infrastructure, we want to take quality healthcare to the last mile.”
Union Minister Nadda elaborated on the need for these centers, explaining that: “Since cancer treatment is a lengthy process with long cycles of chemotherapy, the government is focusing on Day Care Cancer Centres rather than big hospitals to ensure engagement of patients post-chemotherapy sessions.”
Key Announcements for Cancer Care:
• 200 new DCCCs to be established this year.
• DCCCs to be set up in every district over the next three years.
• Screening programs for oral, breast, and cervical cancer in Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs.
Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, highlighted the urgency of early cancer detection, stating: “A nationwide screening initiative has already reached 26 crore people for oral cancer, 18 crore for breast cancer, and 9 crore for cervical cancer. Our goal is to ensure one Day Care Cancer Centre in every district to facilitate early treatment.”
A recent Lancet study cited during the webinar revealed that under the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, cancer treatment initiation has improved by 90%, reducing delays in care.
Strengthening Digital Healthcare: Telemedicine Expansion and Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs
The government is also prioritizing digital healthcare infrastructure to ensure quality medical services reach remote and rural areas. PM Modi underscored the importance of telemedicine, announcing: “The telemedicine facility is being expanded to all Primary Health Centres, ensuring that even rural patients can access quality medical consultations without traveling long distances.”
The expansion of Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs is another key initiative, with:
• 1.75 lakh such healthcare centers operational nationwide.
• Voluntary screenings for hypertension, diabetes, and various cancers.
• Inclusion of AYUSH and alternative medicine systems.
Union Minister Nadda emphasized the government’s efforts to ensure healthcare access for all, stating:
“We are also trying to include AYUSH and other medical systems to ensure the availability and access to healthcare for the people.”
“Heal in India” Initiative: Making India a Global Medical Tourism Hub
India’s reputation as a leading destination for affordable, high-quality medical care is growing, and the government is leveraging this potential with its “Heal in India” initiative. PM Modi highlighted the need to promote India’s strengths in medical tourism, stating: “Initiatives like ‘Heal in India’ are attracting medical tourists from around the world. Efforts are being made to establish India as a global tourism and wellness hub.”
He urged all stakeholders in the healthcare sector to seize this opportunity and invest in health tourism, particularly in areas like:
• Specialized treatments in cardiology, orthopedics, and oncology.
• Wellness tourism, leveraging India’s expertise in Yoga and Ayurveda.
• Developing state-of-the-art hospital infrastructure to serve international patients.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
While the announcements mark significant progress, several challenges were discussed, including:
• The need for more skilled medical professionals.
• Enhancing faculty recruitment and training in medical institutions.
• Ensuring seamless implementation of cancer care programs in all districts.
• Developing a structured supply chain for life-saving drugs and oncology treatments.
Secretary of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ms. Punya Salila Srivastava, emphasized the need for close coordination between the central and state governments to ensure effective implementation of these initiatives. She stated:
“The immediate priority is to identify high-burden districts for the first phase of implementation. We must ensure trained personnel and infrastructure are in place.”
A Call to Action for Stakeholders
The Post-Budget Webinar concluded with a strong call for collaboration between the government, private sector, medical institutions, and civil society to implement these transformative policies effectively.
State governments were urged to:
• Fast-track the establishment of new medical colleges and DCCCs.
• Allocate necessary resources for healthcare expansion.
Private hospitals and research institutions were encouraged to:
• Invest in medical tourism and cancer care facilities.
• Collaborate on AI-driven healthcare solutions.
Civil society organizations were called upon to:
• Promote early cancer detection programs.
• Support awareness campaigns in rural areas.
These healthcare and education reforms, if implemented effectively, will push forward in creating a more inclusive, accessible, and advanced medical system, and achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.