Guwahati: The Assam Budget 2026-27 has proposed creating around 33,240 posts across health institutions and announced a plan to deploy at least one doctor at every sub-centre during the tenure of the present govt.Finance minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, while presenting the state budget in the House on Friday, said as part of the expansion, the budget has proposed the creation of 33,240 posts, including 6,814 MBBS doctors, 82 AYUSH doctors, 22 dental surgeons, 10,942 staff nurses, 4,669 pharmacists, 4,669 laboratory technicians, 67 radiographers, 1,283 ANMs, 4,625 lower division assistants/accounts personnel and 67 dressers.To further strengthen primary healthcare, the govt proposes to equip every sub-centre with at least one MBBS doctor, supported by the required number of ANMs and GNMs. The Minister said the initiative would be the first of its kind in the country.The Budget also outlines plans to strengthen existing First Referral Units (FRUs) and establish new ones to ensure that every assembly constituency has at least one 50-bedded FRU.In addition, the govt announced plans to establish four new medical colleges in Goalpara, Hailakandi, Hojai and Bajali districts. With 14 medical colleges already functioning and 10 under various stages of construction, the proposed institutions will take the total number of medical colleges in Assam to 28, advancing the govt’s vision of having a medical college in every district.The Budget proposes strengthening healthcare services in tea garden areas through infrastructure upgradation, improved diagnostic facilities, medicines, medical equipment and deployment of dedicated doctors and other healthcare personnel, while tea garden managements will continue to support the hospitals as before.The minister said the initiatives follow Assam’s significant achievements in healthcare, with the state’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declining to 84 per lakh live births, below the national average of 87. The govt attributed the improvement to sustained investments in healthcare, nutrition, women’s empowerment and social development.
