The Indian Medical Association (IMA) issued a recent statement stressing that simply increasing a budget allocation is insufficient to address the pressing health challenges facing India. In the midst of these concerns, the IMA is urgently calling for the formation of a Telangana State Health Commission to provide regulatory oversight of healthcare services and medical staffing, with an aim to eliminate unlawful medical practices. In the financial year of 2025-26, the Telangana Budget allocated ₹12,393 crore to the Health, Medical & Family Welfare Department, a small increase from the previous year’s ₹11,468 crore, yet this alone is unlikely to remedy the key health issues at hand.
The gaps in healthcare have led the IMA to underscore the immediate need for the recruitment of doctors and hospital staff, citing more than 2,500 vacant posts disrupting healthcare delivery, particularly in rural areas. By enhancing the quality and accessibility of healthcare facilities in urban and rural setting alike, the IMA suggests that improving diagnostic resources, increasing the availability of specialist doctors, and ensuring a reliable stock of essential medicines could be made possible. The regulatory body argued that stricter enforcement against unqualified practitioners and unregulated clinics is needed in order to address the growing risks of antibiotic resistance, improper care, and delayed diagnosis. They also highlighted that public-awareness campaigns can serve as an effective medium to educate individuals about the hazards posed by unauthorized medical practices.
Striving for a robust healthcare system, the IMA Telangana has proposed collaborative efforts among the government, healthcare professionals, and the general population. They emphasized that the central goal should involve devising accessible, affordable, and high-quality health services for all, especially those populations in underserved regions. In line with continuous progress in the medical industry, the association also stressed the need to foster innovative research and adopt cutting-edge medical technologies, in order to place Telangana at the forefront of contemporary healthcare.
Financial commitments to healthcare in the region remain a concern. Telangana’s Health, Medical & Family Welfare Department has been pledged a mere 4.06 percent of the state’s 2025-26 budget, as announced by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. Despite a small increase reflecting the government’s intent to enhance healthcare services, this allocation falls significantly short of the recommended 8 percent, as per the National Health Policy 2017. Matching the allocation to preventive healthcare and control of non-communicable and vector-borne diseases could offer decidedly more benefits over predominantly curative services, according to Hyderabad Infection Control Academy of India’s President Dr. Burri Ranga Reddy.
The absence of a distinctive allotment for combatting non-communicable diseases, vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, as well as hospital infrastructure for infection control is troubling. Dr. Reddy also noted that while expanding dialysis facilities for chronic kidney disease patients was a welcome move, it is equally important to invest in early screening, community-based health programs, and strengthening infection control systems to predict and prevent diseases at an early stage. As India is among the countries worst affected by antimicrobial resistance, urgent action is needed to combat this silent pandemic.
Dr. Reddy urges Telangana to lead containment efforts, alongside global health organizations, and to incorporate intensive infection control measures within the medical curriculum. This, coupled with the expansion of postgraduate specialization seats, would help in creating a future-proof healthcare workforce. He praises the plan to turn Warangal, Nizamabad, and Khammam into healthcare hubs and suggests a need to further extend this decentralization to district-level hospitals by advance diagnostic centres and extending specialty services.
Additionally, he recommends the use of telemedicine and AI-powered healthcare solutions to bridge rural-urban healthcare disparities. Furthermore, Dr Reddy applauds the provision of safe drinking water in 107 fluoride-affected villages, reinforcing the importance of water safety in maintaining public health.