Lok Sabha Question No. 1036 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-25
Subject: Shortage of Medical Staff in Kerala
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri K Radhakrishnan

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1036 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH JULY, 2025

## SHORTAGE OF MEDICALSTAFFIN KERALA

## 1036. SHRI K RADHAKRISHNAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the shortage of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals in rural and tribal areas of Kerala;
- (b) if so, the details of steps taken to address these shortages, including any special recruitment drives or incentive schemes implemented in the State;
- (c) the details of funds allocated and utilised for strengthening Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) in Kerala during the last three years;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to launch any new centrally sponsored schemes to improve healthcare infrastructure and service delivery in backward and under-served regions of Kerala; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

- (a) The details of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals in rural and tribal areas of Kerala are available at website of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Uniform Resources Locator (URL) as under:

https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Health%20Dynamics%20of%20India%20%28Infrastruct ure%20%26%20Human%20Resources%29%202022-23\_RE%20%281%29.pdf

(b) The primary responsibility of strengthening public healthcare system, including filling up of the vacancies in in healthcare facilities lies with the respective State/UT Governments. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to the States/UTs to strengthen the public healthcare system in rural areas based on the proposals received in the form of Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under National Health Mission. Government of India provides approval for the proposal in the form of Record of Proceedings (RoPs) as per norms & available resources. States/ UTs to ensure availability of HR by creating adequate number of regular posts as per the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) in the long run and using NHM posts in the short to medium term to fill critical gaps. The NHM supplements the regular human resources by filling up the gaps in human resources in secondary and primary care facilities (District Hospital and below) as per IPHS.

Under NHM, following types of incentives and honorarium are provided for encouraging doctors and paramedics to practice in rural and remote areas of the country including Kerala to address the shortage of staff:

-  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 Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) for ensuring timely Antenatal Checkup (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.

## (c). State/UT wise funds approved and Expenditure for Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) under National Health Mission from the FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25 for the state of Kerala is as under:

(Rs. In Lakhs)

|                | Approvals   | Approvals   | Expenditure   | Expenditure   |
|----------------|-------------|-------------|---------------|---------------|
| Financial Year | PHCs        | CHCs        | PHCs          | CHCs          |
| 2022-23        | 2,953.05    | 2,916.31    | 971.62        | 943.44        |
| 2023-24        | 5,350.38    | 3,315.50    | 744.01        | 1,021.07      |
| 2024-25        | 1,498.80    | 1,836.15    | 2,310.87      | 1,081.60      |

Note:

1. The above data is as per available Financial Management Reports submitted by the States/UTs.
2. Expenditure includes expenditure against Central Releases, State Releases & unspent balances at the beginning of the year. Expenditure is as per FMRs submitted by States/UTs and is provisional.
3. (d) & (e). Details of funds approved during the current FY 2025-26 & for the last three FYs i.e 2024-25; 2023-24; 2022-23 for development of building infrastructure under NHM to the State of Kerala are as under:

(Amount in Lakhs)

| State   |   2025-26 | 2024-25   | 2023-24   | 2022-23   |
|---------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Kerala  |   2941.32 | 6,464.94  | 17,943.60 | 12,632.88 |

In addition to the National Health Mission, Government of India has allocated the following funds to improve the healthcare infrastructure and service delivery in backward and under-served regions of Kerala:

-  PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) envisages increased investments in public health and other health reforms to provide better access to health in rural areas. Administrative approvals have been accorded to the State of Kerala for five years (i.e. FY 2021-22 to 2025-2026) for an amount of Rs. 404.63 Cr. for construction/ strengthening of 14 IPHLs at District level and 14 CCBs at District Hosopitals and Medical college level.
-  Under Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV) for the State of Kerala, Rs. 2958.02 Crore has been approved for the five year period from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26 and Rs.1694.74 Cr. has been released so far for establishment and strengthening of 1205 Building less SHCs, 116 Building less PHCs, 41 Building less CHCs, 152 Block Public Health Units, and 380 Urban- AAMs.
-  The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) aims at correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable tertiary healthcare services and to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country. Under the Scheme approvals has been accorded upgradation of four Government Medical Colleges/ Institutions (GMCIs) at Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Alappuzha and Trivandrum for the State of Kerala.

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