Lok Sabha Question No. 2158 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Shortage of Medical Staff
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar, Shri Vijayakumar Alias Vijay Vasanth

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2158 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## SHORTAGE OF MEDICALSTAFF

## 2158. SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH: SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether many complaints/cases have been received during the last three years and the current year regarding shortage of medical staff, essential medicines and materials in Government hospitals across metro cities, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is a fact that Government hospitals continue to face critical shortages while private corporate hospitals manage high patient loads efficiently, if so, the details thereof along with the response of the Government in this regard;

- (c) the immediate steps the Government has taken to ensure availability of doctors, nurses and medical supplies in Government hospitals in metro cities, especially during peak case loads;
- (d) whether an independent audit/inquiry has been conducted by the Government to investigate systemic gaps causing shortages in Government hospitals, if so, the findings thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the manner in which the Government plan to implement nationwide reforms to prevent shortages, improve patient care and ensure that public hospitals match the efficiency of corporate hospitals in handling high patient inflow?

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

(a) to (e) 'Public Health' & 'Hospitals' are State subjects. State Governments make efforts for availability of adequate medical staff, essential medicines and materials in Government Hospitals of their respective States.

Government hospitals cater to a huge patient load owing to affordability and accessibility of health care services for all sections of the society. The patient influx in Government hospitals is significantly higher in comparision to most of the private hospitals. Augmentation of healthcare facilities to ensure adequate medical staff, essential medicines and materials is a continuous process undertaken on the basis of functional requirement of the Hospitals.

Information related to complaints/cases regarding shortage of medical staff, essential medicines and materials in Government hospitals across metro cities is not maintained centrally. As far as Central Government Hospitals of Delhi i.e. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences & Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College &Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated Hospitals are concerned, doctors, paramedical staff and medical supplies in various departments are available round-the -clock to cater to patients. These hospitals continuously work to manage patient load optimally through augmentation of facilities, manpower deployment and process improvements. Also, these hospitals are reviewed for their functioning through visits/inspections from time to time.

The following measures have been undertaken in Central Government hospitals/ Institutes to strengthen service delivery and avoid shortage of staff :

(i). Regular recruitment and filling-up of vacant posts through Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test, Common Recruitment Examination and contractual engagement as per rules.

(ii). Expansion of bed capacity and renovation/upgradation of wards, critical care units, OTs and diagnostic services.

(iii). Adoption of patient-flow management practices including OPD tokenisation, digital queue systems and emergency triage to handle high patient load efficiently.

Also, under National Health Mission(NHM), financial and technical support is provided to the States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems based on the Programme Implementation Plans submitted by the States/UTs within their overall resource envelope. In order to address shortage of human resources, under NHM, types of incentives and honorarium provided for encouraging doctors are at Annexure.

## Annexure referred to in the reply to part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha unstarred question number 2158 for answer on 12.12.2025.

## Types of incentives and honorarium provided for encouraging doctors and other staff to address shortage of human resources under National Health Mission (NHM)

(i) Hard area allowance to specialist doctors for serving in rural and remote areas.

(ii) 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 in rural & remote areas.

(iii) Incentives for doctors and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife(ANM) for ensuring timely Antenatal Care checkup and recording, for conducting Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health activities.

(iv) States are also allowed to offer negotiable salary to attract specialists including flexibility in strategies such as 'You Quote We Pay'.

(v) 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.

(vi) Multi-skilling of doctors is supported under NHM to overcome the shortage of specialists. Skill upgradation of existing human resources is another major strategy under NHM for achieving improvement in health outcomes.