Lok Sabha Question No. 345 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-03
Subject: Shortage of speciality doctors in CHCs
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B, S. Venkatesan, Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 345 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 rd  FEBRUARY, 2023

## SHORTAGE OF SPECIALITY DOCTORS IN CHCs

## 345. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.: SHRI S. VENKATESAN: SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether as per the Rural Health Statistics report the country is reeling under an acute shortage of specialist doctors including surgeons, obstetricians and gynecologists, physicians and pediatricians with a shortfall of nearly 80 percent of the required specialists at Community Health Centres (CHCs);

(b) if so, the details thereof in terms of number and as percentage thereof along with the reasons therefor; and

(c) the specific steps taken by the Government to address the shortage of specialist  doctors in CHCs across the country in a time bound manner?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a)  to  (c):  The  details  of  the  specialist  doctors  in  health  sector  including  surgeons,  obstetricians  and gynecologists, physicians and pediatricians in CHCs in the country are available at website of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Uniform Resources Locator (URL) as under: https://main.mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/RHS%202021%2022.pdf .

All  the  administrative  and  personnel  matters  related  to  health  human  resource  lies  with  the respective State/UT Governments. Under National Health Mission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare provides financial and technical support to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope.

Under NHM, following types of incentives and honorarium are provided for encouraging specialist doctors to practice in rural and remote areas of the country:

-  Hard  area  allowance  to  specialist  doctors  for  serving  in  rural  and  remote  areas  and  for  their residential quarters so that they find it attractive to serve in public health facilities in such areas.
-  Honorarium  to  Gynecologists/  Emergency  Obstetric  Care  (EmoC)  trained,  Pediatricians  & Anesthetist/ Life Saving Anaesthesia Skills (LSAS) trained doctors is also provided to increase availability of specialists for conducting Cesarean Sections in rural & remote area.
-  Incentives like special incentives for doctors, incentive for ANM for ensuring timely ANC checkup and recording, incentives for conducting Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health activities.
-  States  are  also  allowed  to  offer  negotiable  salary  to  attract  specialist  including  flexibility  in strategies such as 'You Quote We Pay'.
-  Non-Monetary incentives such as preferential admission in post graduate courses for staff serving in  difficult  areas  and  improving  accommodation  arrangement  in  rural  areas  have  also  been introduced under NHM.
-  Multi-skilling of doctors is supported under NHM to overcome the shortage of specialists. Skill upgradation of existing HR is another major strategy under NRHM for achieving improvement in health outcomes.
-  As per Section (51) of the NMC Act, 2019, the regulations of National Medical Commission of India provide for incentive of marks at the rate of upto 10% for each year service in rural/ remote/ difficult areas of the State and maximum upto 30% in NEET (PG) for admission to PG medical courses. Further, 50% medical diploma seats are reserved for the in-service medical doctors of the State Government who have served in remote and/ or difficult areas.

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