A recent report by the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has raised serious concerns regarding the functioning of India's Ministry of Health. The committee highlighted that the ministry is currently 380 posts short of its sanctioned strength of 1,467, with vacancies across all staff groups. Despite a slight decrease from 428 vacancies in 2024, the committee stressed that this progress is insufficient and urged the ministry to expedite recruitment processes through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC).

Financially, the ministry's projected budget requirement for the fiscal year 2026-27 was ₹1.22 lakh crore, yet it received only ₹1.01 lakh crore, marking a 17% shortfall. The committee pointed out that this gap could severely limit the expansion of crucial health programs, particularly those under the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Furthermore, the report noted a troubling trend of mid-year budget cuts, which have historically disrupted health initiatives, with reductions of ₹6,600 crore in 2022-23 and ₹8,500 crore in 2023-24.

Additionally, the ministry has struggled with underutilization of funds, having spent only 75.70% of its revised budget by January 31, 2026. The committee called for urgent action to address these issues, emphasizing the need for stable funding and effective manpower planning to ensure the successful implementation of health programs.