Lok Sabha Question No. 2207 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-01
Subject: Free Drugs and Diagnostics Service Initiative in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ms Iqra Choudhary, Shri Pushpendra Saroj

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2207 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 st AUGUST, 2025

## FREE DRUGS AND DIAGNOSTICS SERVICE INITIATIVE IN UTTAR PRADESH

## 2207. SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ: MS IQRA CHOUDHARY:

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

(a) the number of Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and district hospitals in Uttar Pradesh implementing the Free Drugs Service Initiative and Free Diagnostic Service Initiative district-wise along with the amount of funds sanctioned and disbursed to the State under the same;

(b) the number of operational Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) in Uttar Pradesh and the total amount of funds sanctioned and disbursed for their functioning;

(c) the districts in Uttar Pradesh where Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) remains above 87 per lakh, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) exceeds 22 per thousand and Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is above 2.0; and

(d) the percentage of adolescent girls who are provided sanitary napkins monthly under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), district-wise?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a): Under National Health Mission (NHM), financial support is provided to all States / UTs including Uttar Pradesh for provision of free essential medicines & free essential diagnostics in public health facilities based on the requirements posed by States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope. Under Free Drugs Service Initiative, Ministry has recommended facility wise Essential Drugs List (EDL) to be made available at the public healthcare facilities in the country to ensure widespread access to essential medicines.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India supports 'Free Diagnostics Service Initiative' (FDSI) programme under NHM. 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). The number of medicine and Diagnostics services recommended at these health facilities in the country including Uttar Pradesh are given as below. However, States have the flexibility to add more.

|   Sr. No. | Name of Facilities   |   No. of essential Medicine |   No. of Diagnostics |
|-----------|----------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------|
|         1 | DHs                  |                         381 |                  134 |
|         2 | SDHs                 |                         318 |                  111 |
|         3 | CHCs                 |                         300 |                   97 |
|         4 | AAM-PHC              |                         172 |                   63 |
|         5 | AAM-Sub Centre       |                         106 |                   14 |

The amount of funds sanctioned for free drugs and diagnostics service initiatives are approved under NHM Record of Proceeding (ROP) as per PIP submitted by the State/UTs.

- (b): As reported by States/UTs on AAM portal, a total of 22999 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) [erstwhile Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (ABHWCs)] have been operationalized in Uttar Pradesh, till 15.07.2025. The total budget for functioning of the AAMs under NHM is approved under NHM ROP as per PIP submitted by the State/UTs.
- (c): As per SRS (Sample Registration system) 2020-22, Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is 141 per lakh live birth, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is 38 per 1000 live birth in Uttar Pradesh. Total Fertility rate (TFR) as per NFHS-5 (National Family Health Survey) 2019-21 is 2.4 in Uttar Pradesh.
- (d): The Government is implementing the 'Menstrual Hygiene Scheme' (MHS) under the National Health Mission (NHM) to promote menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls aged 10-19 years. Funds are provided to States/UTs based on the proposals in their Annual Programme Implementation Plans. As per reports available on the Health Management Information System (HMIS), during 2024-25, a total of 94,279 adolescent girls received sanitary napkins each month. District-wise data is not maintained at the National level.

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