Patna: The Bihar government announced ambitious plans in its 2026 budget to transform the state’s healthcare landscape, including upgrading district hospitals to super-specialty status and developing Patna’s premier institutions, IGIMS and PMCH, into world-class hospitals.
Finance Minister Bijendra Yadav announced an allocation of Rs 21,270 crore for the health sector, emphasizing improvements in facilities for complex treatments such as cancer, cardiac, neurological, and kidney disorders at the district level. “Our goal is to ensure quality healthcare reaches every corner of Bihar,” Yadav said during his budget speech.
The government highlighted that, according to the SRS-2023 report, Bihar has achieved maternal, infant, and under-5 mortality rates better than the national average. The budget outlines the establishment of new medical colleges and government hospitals in districts including Navgachia, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, and Saharsa.
Under the ‘Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme’ and the ‘Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana,’ over 1.7 crore families are set to receive health cards, offering annual coverage exceeding Rs 4 lakh. Specialized schemes for treating children with heart disease, thalassemia, and other rare illnesses will continue, providing free treatment to thousands.
Plans also include the construction of 100- to 400-bed hospitals in multiple districts, alongside specialized cancer and cardiology hospitals developed through public-private partnerships (PPP) to ensure affordable super-specialty care for economically disadvantaged patients.
In Patna, IGIMS and PMCH are set to receive two new 1,100-bed towers each, marking a significant step toward creating world-class medical institutions in the state.
Bihar’s 2026 budget reflects a growing focus on expanding healthcare infrastructure, aiming to make specialized medical treatment accessible to all residents while enhancing the state’s overall health indicators.
