The state aims to strengthen medical services, introduce advanced treatment facilities, and ensure free healthcare access for economically weaker sections. The scheme providing eggs and milk in Anganwadis will now be available on all working days, with an increased allocation of ₹80 crore.
Published Feb 07, 2025 | 5:50 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 07, 2025 | 5:50 PM
What’s in Store for Health, Social Justice, and Women & Children? (IMG- KN Balagopal FB Page)
Synopsis: Kerala’s Finance Minister KN Balagopal announced substantial healthcare funding increases and infrastructure expansions in the 2025-26 budget, with an emphasis on social justice and welfare. The government has allocated significant funds for women and child welfare, including ₹80 crore for providing eggs and milk in Anganwadis on all working days, alongside specialised healthcare initiatives such as ₹80 crore for the ‘108’ ambulance service and ₹21 crore for equipping all district hospitals with advanced stroke care facilities.
Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal announced a substantial increase in healthcare funding and infrastructure expansion in his 2025-26 Budget address on Friday, 7 February.
The state aims to strengthen medical services, introduce advanced treatment facilities, and ensure free healthcare access for economically weaker sections.
Before detailing the Budget allocation, Balagopal highlighted key achievements in Kerala’s healthcare sector. Notably, medical colleges in Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram have successfully conducted liver transplant surgeries.
Additionally, advanced robotic surgery facilities have been established at the Regional Cancer Centre and Malabar Cancer Centre. Ernakulam General Hospital has made history as the first district-level hospital to perform cardiac surgery, minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery, and kidney transplantation.
Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital has introduced G-GAITER, an AI and robotics-based mobility device for the physically challenged – marking the first such initiative in the government sector in India.
The total plan outlay for the Medical and Public Health sector has been increased to ₹2,915.49 crore, a rise of ₹97.96 crore from the previous year.
Over the past three and a half years, free treatment worth ₹6,788 crore has been provided to 17 lakh people, including ₹6,271 crore under the Karunya Aarogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) benefiting 24.06 lakh individuals, ₹473 crore through the Karunya Benevolent Fund supporting 62,122 beneficiaries, and ₹1,736 crore under the Arogya Kiranam Project benefiting 8.49 lakh children.
Additionally, the Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL) has supplied medicines worth ₹2,700 crore free of cost.
The minister emphasised that the government remains committed to upholding the principles of social justice and welfare. He noted that Kerala is on the verge of eliminating extreme poverty, with the goal of eradicating homelessness and landlessness soon.
The state boasts of the largest Social Security Pension scheme in India, with an annual expenditure exceeding ₹11,000 crore, providing ₹1,600 per month to nearly 60 lakh beneficiaries. Despite the availability of central assistance, the Centre contributes only 2 percent of the total requirement.
The minister, however, stated that there won’t be an increase in welfare pensions, but assured that the government remains committed to timely pension disbursements. He announced that the final installment of ₹600 crore for service pension revision arrears will be paid this month.
To further strengthen social welfare programs, the government has enhanced allocations across various initiatives:
The Budget also emphasises the welfare of women and children, focusing on their protection, nutrition, and empowerment. ₹11 crore has been allocated to develop Anganwadis as Community Resource Centres, while ₹12 crore is set aside for constructing Model and Smart Anganwadis.
The scheme providing eggs and milk in Anganwadis will now be available on all working days, with an increased allocation of ₹80 crore.
Additionally, ₹51 crore is designated for psycho-social services for adolescent girls, ₹11 crore for the Integrated Child Protection Scheme, and ₹9 crore for the Gender Park.
The state will contribute ₹30 crore to the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and ₹16 crore for innovative child welfare projects, including ‘Our Responsibility to Children.’
To support children without family care post-institutional stay, ₹11 crore is allocated for After Care Homes, offering skill training and placement assistance.
Furthermore, ₹3 crore is earmarked for establishing a Government Care Home in Idukki, completing the initiative of having such homes in all districts.
Other allocations include:
The government has allocated ₹5.4 crore for pain and palliative care, including ₹1 crore for establishing a palliative care grid. ₹12 crore has been dedicated to communicable disease prevention, while ₹8 crore is set aside for modern labs and fertility clinics in women and children’s hospitals.
Emergency medical services will receive ₹80 crore for the ‘108’ ambulance service, covering 335 advanced life support ambulances. ₹45 crore has been earmarked for the treatment of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiac disorders, and stroke in low-income families.
Additionally, cath labs will be expanded in Alappuzha, Kozhikode, and Ernakulam Medical Colleges, with an extra ₹10 crore allocated for one at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College’s Heart Foundation.
The government has allocated ₹13.98 crore to set up 105 dialysis units under the Health Department, with a plan to establish these facilities in all District and General Hospitals, as well as 25 District Headquarters Hospitals that currently lack them.
Additionally, the outlay for stroke care units has been significantly increased from ₹3.5 crore to ₹21 crore to equip all district hospitals with advanced stroke care facilities.
The minister also announced a joint project between the Health and Local Self-Government Departments aimed at promoting senior citizen care under the “Healthy Aging Programme.”
A total of ₹50 crore has been allocated for this initiative. Additionally, ₹5 crore will be allocated for the establishment of open-air exercise parks.
Furthermore, a special initiative called “New Innings” has been introduced to encourage startups by senior citizens, with an allocation of ₹5 crore.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
