1 lakh allied health professionals to be added across 10 disciplines: Sitharaman

Around 1 lakh allied health professionals (AHPs) will be added across various disciplines, including optometry, radiology, anaesthesia and applied psychology, over the next five years, the government announced on Sunday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, said existing institutions for allied health professionals would be upgraded and new AHP institutions would established in private and government sectors. This would create a new range of skilled career pathways for India's youth in the health sector, she said. ''This will cover 10 selected disciplines including optometry, radiology, anaesthesia, OT technology, applied psychology and behavioural health and add 1 lakh AHPs over the next five years,'' she said. ''A strong care system covering geriatric and allied care services will be built.'' The minister said a variety of programmes aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) will be developed to train multi-skilled caregivers combining core care and allied skills such as wellness, yoga and operation of medical assistive devices. ''In the coming year, 1.5 lakh care givers will be trained.''