Odisha faces a critical decision on allied health education. The Union Budget 2026–27 supports this direction, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing plans to upgrade existing institutions and establish new AHP centers in both government and private sectors. The goal is to train one lakh allied health professionals over five years across ten selected disciplines, including optometry, radiology, anaesthesia, OT technology, applied psychology, and behavioral health.
State regulatory hurdles block progress
Under the NCAHP compliance framework, institutions must obtain an essentiality certificate from their state government before starting new programs. This document confirms that a proposed course aligns with local healthcare demand, infrastructure availability, and workforce requirements. The system is designed to ensure quality and prevent indiscriminate expansion. However, Odisha universities seeking to start new allied health programs are currently unable to do so. The application pathway for the essentiality certificate remains closed, creating a bottleneck that prevents proposals from even reaching the review stage.
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The absence of an operational EC route creates a serious practical barrier. When universities cannot submit applications, their proposals cannot be examined on merit. Courses cannot move forward for recognition or approval, which delays infrastructure planning, faculty recruitment, and hospital partnerships. Most importantly, students in Odisha lose access to new career pathways in a sector that is actively expanding at the national level. If other states process these applications while Odisha remains closed, the state risks falling behind in a growing employment market.
Building a skilled workforce
Hospitals, diagnostic centers, rehabilitation services, intensive care units, operation theaters, dialysis units, radiology departments, and emergency care systems all require trained allied health professionals. The budget announcement recognizes this need by targeting specific areas for training expansion. A constructive way forward involves the Odisha Government immediately operationalizing the EC application mechanism, publishing clear guidelines, and specifying review timelines. Opening the portal allows due process to begin without guaranteeing approval, ensuring that institutions can contribute to India’s mission of building a skilled, future-ready allied healthcare workforce.
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