Lok Sabha Question No. 3625 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Compensation to Doctors and Officers under NHM
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Bastipati Nagaraju

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3625 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2026

## COMPENSATION TO DOCTORS AND OFFICERS UNDER NHM

## 3625. SHRI BASTIPATI NAGARAJU:

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

- (a) whether the Government has examined the compensation being offered to doctors and medical officers employed under National Health Mission (NHM) and if so, the details regarding the issues observed;
- (b) the measures taken by the Government to increase compensation and attract specialists and doctors especially in rural areas;
- (c) the number of doctors employed in contractual positions under NHM in the country, Statewise and district-wise for Andhra Pradesh; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure social and economic security for contractual staff employed under NHM?

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

## (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (d): All the administrative and personnel matters related to health human resource lies with the respective State/UT Governments. Under National Health Mission (NHM), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare provides financial and technical support to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope.

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 Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). 5% of the total Human Resource (HR) budget is approved as increment to all human resource for health (HRH) engaged under NHM and 3% of the total HR budget is recommended for HR rationalization within which the State has a discretion to decide the actual increment. HR rationalization exercise and its principles, including increments, are approved by State Health Society Governing Body (SHS GB). NHM contributes to EPF (Employer ' s contribution) @ 13.36% for staff drawing salary less than or equal to Rs. 15000 per month as on/ after 1st April 2015. Further, the guidelines for Human Resources for Health (HRH) is available in public domain at:

https://nhsrcindia.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/Final%20Guideline%20on%20Human%20 Resources%20for%20Health%20for%20NHM.pdf

Under NHM, following types of incentives and honorarium are provided for encouraging healthcare workers to practice in rural and remote areas of the country including Chhattisgarh to address the shortage of healthcare workers:

- 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 Gynaecologists/ 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.

As per NHM-MIS report (as on September 2025), State-wise details of the number of doctors employed under NHM including Andhra Pradesh are available at the following link of MIS report:

https://nhm.gov.in/index4.php?lang=1&level=0&linkid=457&lid=686

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