Lok Sabha Question No. 4773 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-28
Subject: New initiative to promote Telemedicine Services
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Gopal Jee Thakur, Shri Saumitra Khan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 4773 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.03.2025

## NEWINITIATIVE TO PROMOTE TELEMEDICINE SERVICES

## †4773. SHRI GOPAL JEE THAKUR: SHRI SAUMITRAKHAN:

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

(a) whether the Government has taken any new initiative to promote telemedicine services in Bihar and West Bengal;

(b) if so, the details thereof, district-wise;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) the manner in which the said initiative is likely to help in the expansion of health services in rural areas; and

(e) whether the poor sections of the society have been benefited from telemedicine services in health sector and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (e) Yes, eSanjeevani is a national telemedicine service launched in 2019 operational in all states and UTs including Bihar and West Bengal, aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

District-wise details for Bihar and West Bengal are attached in Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

It is implemented in two variants: I. eSanjeevani AB-AAM: It is a provider-to-provider telemedicine system, launched in November 2019 and is based on hub and spoke model.

II. eSanjeevani OPD: It is a patient-to-provider telemedicine system, launched in April 2020, to enable citizens to get outpatient services in the confines of their homes to provide safe provider-topatient consultations.

In the state of Bihar as on 23.03.2025 total 2,14,54,053 consultations have been conducted in eSanjeevani AAM through 53 hubs and 9,104 Spokes and in the state of West Bengal as on 23.03.2025 total 5,47,61,553 consultations have been conducted in eSanjeevani AAM through 98 hubs and 10,414 Spokes.

eSanjeevani is designed to be an inclusive and accessible platform, providing free teleconsultation services to all, ensuring that even the economically disadvantaged can benefit from quality healthcare. While the platform does not record the socioeconomic status of patients, its widespread adoption, especially in rural and underserved areas, indicates that many underprivileged individuals have gained access to essential healthcare services without financial barriers.

## Annexure-I

| Sl.N o.   | District Name      | Spokes Operational*   |   HUBs Operational * | AAM consultations   | OPD consultations   |
|-----------|--------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| 1         | ARARIA             | 228                   |                    1 | 4,39,646            | 5,531               |
| 2         | ARWAL              | 63                    |                    1 | 2,26,369            | 612                 |
| 3         | AURANGABAD         | 199                   |                    1 | 4,30,520            | 1,412               |
| 4         | BANKA              | 224                   |                    1 | 2,80,453            | 1,192               |
| 5         | BEGUSARAI          | 228                   |                    2 | 5,24,987            | 1,701               |
| 6         | BHAGALPUR          | 322                   |                    1 | 9,65,185            | 5,627               |
| 7         | BHOJPUR            | 272                   |                    2 | 8,17,503            | 1,350               |
| 8         | BUXAR              | 185                   |                    1 | 3,57,609            | 1,340               |
| 9         | DARBHANGA          | 265                   |                    1 | 6,55,686            | 1,803               |
| 10        | GAYA               | 415                   |                    1 | 7,26,643            | 1,912               |
| 11        | GOPALGANJ          | 198                   |                    1 | 8,12,295            | 1,196               |
| 12        | JAMUI              | 220                   |                    1 | 4,33,628            | 689                 |
| 13        | JEHANABAD          | 100                   |                    1 | 2,09,700            | 504                 |
| 14        | KAIMUR (BHABUA)    | 165                   |                    1 | 5,24,196            | 1,755               |
| 15        | KATIHAR            | 271                   |                    2 | 6,59,876            | 8,758               |
| 16        | KHAGARIA           | 140                   |                    1 | 3,95,855            | 1,608               |
| 17        | KISHANGANJ         | 231                   |                    1 | 3,82,629            | 667                 |
| 18        | LAKHISARAI         | 103                   |                    1 | 3,27,822            | 1,629               |
| 19        | MADHEPURA          | 226                   |                    1 | 3,63,172            | 807                 |
| 20        | MADHUBANI          | 282                   |                    1 | 7,11,051            | 3,111               |
| 21        | MUNGER             | 191                   |                    1 | 5,72,925            | 1,799               |
| 22        | MUZAFFARPUR        | 344                   |                    3 | 7,85,624            | 3,599               |
| 23        | NALANDA            | 356                   |                    1 | 6,13,244            | 2,890               |
| 24        | NAWADA             | 201                   |                    1 | 3,12,950            | 730                 |
| 25        | PASHCHIM CHAMPARAN | 378                   |                    1 | 7,88,197            | 6,190               |
| 26        | PATNA              | 463                   |                    5 | 12,05,190           | 6,354               |
| 27        | PURBI CHAMPARAN    | 302                   |                    1 | 6,13,415            | 2,148               |
| 28        | PURNIA             | 437                   |                    1 | 7,25,593            | 4,303               |
| 29        | ROHTAS             | 245                   |                    1 | 5,14,240            | 2,627               |
| 30        | SAHARSA            | 156                   |                    1 | 4,03,425            | 1,486               |
| 31        | SAMASTIPUR         | 337                   |                    1 | 6,86,807            | 4,937               |
| 32        | SARAN              | 317                   |                    1 | 8,52,409            | 3,473               |
| 33        | SHEIKHPURA         | 109                   |                    6 | 2,28,128            | 482                 |
| 34        | SHEOHAR            | 76                    |                    1 | 2,00,269            | 386                 |
| 35        | SITAMARHI          | 147                   |                    1 | 3,86,761            | 3,590               |
| 36        | SIWAN              | 251                   |                    1 | 8,79,307            | 4,560               |
| 37        | SUPAUL             | 174                   |                    1 | 3,83,260            | 2,481               |
| 38        | VAISHALI           | 283                   |                    2 | 10,57,484           | 2,078               |
| Total     | Total              | 9,104                 |                   53 | 2,14,54,053         | 97,317              |

Annexure-II

| Sl.N o.   | District Name      | Spokes Operational*   |   HUBs Operational* | AAM consultations   | OPD consultations   |
|-----------|--------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| 1         | ALIPURDUAR         | 223                   |                   3 | 10,86,896           | 208                 |
| 2         | BANKURA            | 598                   |                   6 | 29,65,803           | 793                 |
| 3         | BIRBHUM            | 501                   |                   5 | 21,01,011           | 557                 |
| 4         | COOCH BEHAR        | 429                   |                   3 | 22,59,639           | 267                 |
| 5         | DAKSHIN DINAJPUR   | 282                   |                   3 | 19,00,523           | 248                 |
| 6         | DARJEELING         | 148                   |                   5 | 5,08,729            | 403                 |
| 7         | HOOGHLY            | 678                   |                   3 | 27,99,271           | 1,326               |
| 8         | HOWRAH             | 506                   |                   3 | 36,00,409           | 883                 |
| 9         | JALPAIGURI         | 261                   |                   3 | 10,78,956           | 377                 |
| 10        | JHARGRAM           | 205                   |                   3 | 10,25,400           | 132                 |
| 11        | KALIMPONG          | 35                    |                   2 | 1,77,655            | 71                  |
| 12        | KOLKATA            | 157                   |                  15 | 4,97,344            | 3,958               |
| 13        | MALDAH             | 459                   |                   3 | 15,80,991           | 558                 |
| 14        | MURSHIDABAD        | 668                   |                   3 | 25,05,102           | 1,039               |
| 15        | NADIA              | 488                   |                   3 | 30,28,638           | 2,288               |
| 16        | NORTH 24 PARAGANAS | 765                   |                   6 | 46,47,550           | 3,361               |
| 17        | PASCHIM BARDHAMAN  | 244                   |                   3 | 13,51,444           | 1,016               |
| 18        | PASCHIM MEDINIPUR  | 726                   |                   5 | 44,05,949           | 704                 |
| 19        | PURBA BARDHAMAN    | 585                   |                   3 | 31,17,746           | 986                 |
| 20        | PURBA MEDINIPUR    | 740                   |                   5 | 55,54,306           | 650                 |
| 21        | PURULIA            | 410                   |                   4 | 16,36,770           | 289                 |
| 22        | SOUTH 24 PARAGANAS | 1034                  |                   6 | 57,32,585           | 1,590               |
| 23        | UTTAR DINAJPUR     | 272                   |                   3 | 11,98,836           | 251                 |
|           | Total              | 10,414                |                  98 | 5,47,61,553         | 21,955              |

*Health facilities that have conducted at least one consultation are considered operational.

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