A breakout session on scaling up allied health professionals was held as part of the Government of India’s Post-Budget Webinar series under the theme “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas – Fulfilling Aspirations of People.” The session focused on strategies to expand allied healthcare education and strengthen India’s allied health workforce.

The discussion brought together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, academic experts and representatives from state governments to deliberate on ways to increase the availability of trained allied healthcare professionals across the country.

The government has set an ambitious target to add one lakh Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) over the next five years, aiming to improve accessibility, quality and sustainability of healthcare services and education in India.

Moderating the session, Dr. Vinod Kotwal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighted the growing demand for allied health professionals due to demographic changes, the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, expansion of healthcare infrastructure and the increasing adoption of advanced medical technologies.

She noted that fields such as diagnostics, imaging, physiotherapy, emergency care and anaesthesia technology are witnessing a surge in demand for skilled professionals.

Dr. Kotwal identified priority disciplines for scaling up training capacity, including optometry, physiotherapy, medical laboratory sciences, dialysis therapy, radiology and imaging technology, radiotherapy technology, anaesthesia and OT technology, emergency medical technology, occupational therapy, applied psychology, behavioural health and palliative care.

According to the Ministry, India currently has more than 500 government institutes offering around 48,000 seats, while approximately 3,800 private institutes provide over 3.6 lakh seats in allied healthcare programmes. However, variations exist in infrastructure, laboratory facilities, equipment and trained faculty.

She emphasised the need to maintain uniform standards across institutions in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021.

The government initiative aims to expand seats in diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, modernise government institutions in line with regulatory norms, strengthen laboratories and simulation facilities, address faculty shortages and raise awareness among youth about career opportunities in allied health professions.

The panel discussion featured several experts from healthcare regulation, academia and industry. Participants highlighted the critical role of allied health professionals in strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly in diagnostics, rehabilitation, emergency services and patient care.

Panel members welcomed the government’s decision to add one lakh allied health professionals over the next five years and supported the plan to strengthen existing medical colleges so they evolve into comprehensive education ecosystems that include allied health and paramedical training.

The discussions stressed the importance of expanding education infrastructure, standardising curricula, strengthening regulatory mechanisms and promoting collaboration between industry and academic institutions.

Experts also underlined the need to increase awareness among young people about diverse career opportunities in allied health professions, describing the sector as a promising and rewarding career pathway.

It was suggested that existing hospitals could be developed into allied health science teaching and skill-training hubs, which would significantly expand training capacity across the country.

The panel also recommended strengthening faculty exchange programmes between universities and medical colleges to address shortages of trained faculty and improve the quality of education and training.

Another key proposal was to utilise district medical colleges as hubs for allied health sciences, as many components of medical education and infrastructure align closely with allied health training requirements. Leveraging these institutions could significantly increase training capacity nationwide.

With the operationalisation of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions, the regulatory framework governing allied health education and professional standards has undergone a major transformation. Experts noted that this provides a strong foundation for scaling up high-quality education and ensuring standardised training across institutions.

The webinar was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, along with representatives from the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions, the National Medical Commission, state health departments, industry associations, healthcare providers and faculty members from allied healthcare institutions.

Officials said the insights and recommendations from the session will help shape an implementation roadmap for expanding allied healthcare education and building a skilled workforce to meet India’s growing healthcare needs.