Lok Sabha Question No. 1386 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-10
Subject: Free Drugs & Diagnostics Service Initiative
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1386 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023

## FREE DRUGS & DIAGNOSTICS SERVICE INITIATIVE

## 1386. SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  Free  Drugs  and  Diagnostics  Service  initiative  under  the  National Health Mission;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any study to gauge the efficacy of the initiative after so many years of its implementation;
- (c) if so, the details thereof including in Maharashtra and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the details of average number of Outpatients in Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), State/ UT-wise with particular reference to Maharashtra; and
- (e) the details of measures being taken to increase Outpatient count in Health and Wellness Centres?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  to  (c)  Under  NHM  financial  support  is  provided  to  States  /  UTs  for  provision  of  free essential medicines in public health facilities based on the requirements posed by States/UTs in  their  Programme  Implementation  Plans  (PIPs)  within  their  overall  resource  envelope. Ministry has recommended facility wise Essential Drugs List (EDL) to be made available at the  public  healthcare  facilities  to  ensure  widespread  access  to  essential  medicines.  No  of medicines  recommended  at  varius  facilities  are  given  below.  However  States  have  the flexibility to add more.

|   Sr. No. | Name Facilicty   |   No. of essential Medicine |
|-----------|------------------|-----------------------------|
|         1 | DH               |                         375 |
|         2 | SDH              |                         311 |
|         3 | CHC              |                         299 |
|         4 | HWC-PHC          |                         171 |
|         5 | HWC-Sub Centre   |                         105 |

The  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare,  Government  of  India  supports  'Free Diagnostics  Service  Initiative'  (FDSI)  programme  under  National  Health  Mission.  The programme was launched with the aim to provide accessible and affordable pathological and radiological diagnostics services closer to the community which in turn reduces the Out-of-Pocket  Expenditure  (OOPE).  Diagnostics  services  provided  at  the  health  & wellness centres are given as below;

|   Sr. No. | Name of Facilities   |   No. of Diagnostics |
|-----------|----------------------|----------------------|
|         1 | DHs                  |                  134 |
|         2 | SDHs                 |                  111 |
|         3 | CHCs                 |                   97 |
|         4 | HWC-PHC              |                   63 |
|         5 | HWC-Sub Centre       |                   14 |

(d) The  details  of  State/UTs-wise  Footfall  at  AB-HWCs  as  on  1st  February  2023 including Maharashtra is attached at Annexure.

(e) Various steps have been taken by GoI to increase the outpatients in AB-HWCs are as under:

-  The expanded package comprising 12 services are aimed to be provided by AB-HWCs includes  screening,  prevention,  control  and  management  of  non-communicable diseases, care for common eye and ENT problems, basic oral health care, elderly and palliative health care services, emergency medical services and screening and basic management of mental health ailments.
-  Number  of  essential  medicines  and  essential  diagnostics  at  AB-HWCs  have  been increased.
-  HWCs  are  connected  through  E-Sanjeevni  Tele-Consultation  to  provide  specialist consultation in case of need.
-  AB-HWCs ensure continuity of care through appropriate referrals and optimal home and community follow-up.
-  Wellness-related  activities  like  Yoga,  Zumba,  and  Meditation,  42  annual  health calendar days are celebrated by each AB-HWC.
-  Community  platforms  like  Village  Health  Sanitation  &  Nutrition  Committee  and Mahila  Arogya  Samiti  and  facility-based  platforms  like  Jan  Arogya  Samitis  are instrumental in raising awareness of National Health Programs and health initiatives.
-  Block Health Melas and Melas at AB-HWCs are conducted to create awareness among thousands of people desiring to avail quality healthcare services.

## Annexure 1 - State/UT Wise Footfalls at AB-HWCs

| S.No .   | States/UTs               |   Footfalls Total (in lakh) |
|----------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1        | Andaman &Nicobar Islands |                    12.64    |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh           |                  1189.5     |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh        |                     6.22    |
| 4        | Assam                    |                   175.16    |
| 5        | Bihar                    |                   215.22    |
| 6        | Chandigarh               |                    22       |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh             |                   422.84    |
| 8        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli      |                     8.88    |
| 9        | Daman &Diu               |                     8       |
| 10       | Delhi                    |                     0.00636 |
| 11       | Goa                      |                    26.29    |
| 12       | Gujarat                  |                  1037.37    |
| 13       | Haryana                  |                   285.58    |
| 14       | Himachal Pradesh         |                    78.19    |
| 15       | Jammu &Kashmir           |                   126.21    |
| 16       | Jharkhand                |                    89.84    |
| 17       | Karnataka                |                  1063.16    |
| 18       | Kerala                   |                   937.31    |
| 19       | Ladakh                   |                     4.9     |
| 20       | Lakshadweep              |                     2.5     |
| 21       | Madhya Pradesh           |                   682.94    |
| 22       | Maharashtra              |                  1322.54    |
| 23       | Manipur                  |                     9.61    |
| 24       | Meghalaya                |                    39.63    |
| 25       | Mizoram                  |                    14.01    |
| 26       | Nagaland                 |                     8.04    |
| 27       | Odisha                   |                   800.2     |
| 28       | Puducherry               |                   102.67    |
| 29       | Punjab                   |                   282.35    |
| 30       | Rajasthan                |                   790.64    |
| 31       | Sikkim                   |                     7.97    |
| 32       | Tamil Nadu               |                  1543       |
| 33       | Telangana                |                   594.03    |
| 34       | Tripura                  |                    26.73    |
| 35       | Uttar Pradesh            |                   984.05    |
| 36       | Uttarakhand              |                    62.12    |
| 37       | West Bengal              |                  1227.57    |
| Total    | Total                    |                 14210.1     |

(Data Source- AB-HWC portal as on 1 st  February 2023)