Lok Sabha Question No. 1076 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-03
Subject: Medical Facilites to Poor in Government Hospitals
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ajay Nishad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1076 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03 RD  DECEMBER, 2021 MEDICAL FACILITIES TO POOR IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS

## 1076: SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

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

- (a) whether the Government provides free treatment and medicines in Government hospitals to patients living Below Poverty Line;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has received complaints regarding irregularities in quality of medicines provided to  such  poor  patients;  and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the necessary steps taken by the Government in this regard?

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

## (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a) to (d): 'Public Health and Hospitals' being a state subject, the primary responsibility of strengthening public healthcare system including provision of essential medicines lies with  the  respective  State  Governments.  However  as  far  as  Central  Government Hospitals including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMSs) are concerned, these hospitals provide free treatment and medicines to patients living Below Poverty Line.

Under National Health Mission (NHM), technical and financial support is provided to  the  States/Union  Territories  to  strengthen  the  public  healthcare  system  including support for ensuring sufficient supply of free medicines and other medical equipment at public healthcare facilities towards the objective of providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to all those who access public health facilities.

To ensure availability of essential drugs and diagnostics and reduce the Out of Pocket  Expenditure  (OOPE)  of  the  patients  visiting  the  public health cfacilities, Government  has  rolled  out  the  Free  Drugs  Services  Initiative  (FDSI)  and  Free Diagnostics  Service  Initiative  under  National  Health  Mission.  Under  this,  financial support is provided to States/Union Territories for provision of medical equipment and free essential medicines in public health facilities based on the requirements posted by them  in  their  Programme  Implementation  Plans  (PIPs)  within  their  overall  resource envelope. This support includes strengthening/setting up robust systems of procurement, quality assurance mechanism, warehousing, prescription audit, grievance redressal dissemination of Standard Treatment Guidelines, and Information Technology (IT)  backed  supply  chain  management  systems  like  Drugs  and  Vaccines  Distribution Management Systems (DVDMS).

Ministry has recommended facility wise Essential Medicines List (EML) according to which medicines are to be made available at the public healthcare facilities:

- (i) Sub Health Centre health & Wellness Centre (SHC-HWCs)- 105
- (ii) Primary Health Centre Health & Wellness Centre (PHC-HWCs)-172
- (iii) Community Health Centres (CHCs)-455
- (iv) District Hospital (DHs)- 544

Moreover, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides financial assistance  for  treatment  of  poor  patients  suffering  from  identified  life  threatening diseases and taking treatment in Government hospitals, under the Umbrella Scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and Health Minister's Discretionary Grant.