Lok Sabha Question No. 2209 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Palliative Care Centres
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Subbarayan K, Com. Selvaraj V

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2209 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH DECEMBER, 2025

## PALLIATIVE CARE CENTRES

## 2209 SHRI SUBBARAYAN K: COM. SELVARAJ V:

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

(a) whether it is a fact that a study conducted by the Association for Socially Applicable Research in collaboration with NGO Pallium India has found that India has just four palliative care centres for every ten million people, leaving millions battling cancer, chronic illness and terminal conditions without timely pain relief or support and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is also a fact that most of the large States remain severely underserved, whereas Kerala is a stand-out model with only 2.5 per cent of India's population, it hosts 44.5 percent of all palliative care centres in the country and in contrast Uttar Pradesh has just 12 centres for 17 per cent of the country's population and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to set up more palliative care centres in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): The National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC) is being implemented across all 36 States/UTs. At present, palliative care services under NPPC are functional in around 600 districts. The State-wise information of District Hospitals providing palliative care services, under National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC) is placed at Annexure I. Home based palliative care services are also being delivered by trained Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Community volunteers.

The State-wise details of Out-patients, In-patients and Home based Palliative Care services under NPPC for the financial year 2024-25 is at Annexure-II.

(c): Palliative care is one of the 12 essential services delivered at the Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) level, encompassing preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care. The government is also leveraging tele-consultation services at AAM to provide access to specialists and implementing community-based initiatives to support care.

ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and community volunteers are trained to identify bedridden patients and others needing palliative care within the community. They conduct periodic home visits, provide support to patients and families, and help ensure continuity of care by facilitating appropriate referrals. Community Health Officers (CHOs) at the AAMs supervise care and provide regular medical attention, pain management, and emotional support.

## Districts covered under the National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC)

| S.No   | Name of State/UT   | Total Number of Districts functional as on October 2025   |
|--------|--------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Andaman &Nicobar   | 3                                                         |
| 2      | Andhra Pradesh     | 23                                                        |
| 3      | Arunachal Pradesh  | 26                                                        |
| 4      | Assam              | 35                                                        |
| 5      | Bihar              | 6                                                         |
| 6      | Chandigarh         | 1                                                         |
| 7      | Chhattisgarh       | 14                                                        |
| 8      | Delhi              | 1                                                         |
| 9      | DNH_DD             | 3                                                         |
| 10     | Goa                | 2                                                         |
| 11     | Gujarat            | 41 (33 Districts and 8 Municipal corporation)             |
| 12     | Haryana            | 18                                                        |
| 13     | Himachal Pradesh   | 12                                                        |
| 14     | Jharkhand          | 18                                                        |
| 15     | Karnataka          | 31                                                        |
| 16     | Kerala             | 14                                                        |
| 17     | Ladakh             | 2                                                         |
| 18     | Lakshadweep        | 1                                                         |
| 19     | Madhya Pradesh     | 51                                                        |
| 20     | Maharashtra        | 34                                                        |
| 21     | Manipur            | 16                                                        |
| 22     | Meghalaya          | 11                                                        |
| 23     | Mizoram            | 9                                                         |
| 24     | Nagaland           | 3                                                         |
| 25     | Odisha             | 30                                                        |
| 26     | Puducherry         | 0                                                         |
| 27     | Punjab             | 4                                                         |
| 28     | Rajasthan          | 42                                                        |
| 29     | Sikkim             | 4                                                         |
| 30     | Tamil Nadu         | 38                                                        |
| 31     | Telangana          | 34                                                        |
| 32     | Tripura            | 8                                                         |
| 33     | Jammu and Kashmir  | 1                                                         |
| 34     | Uttar Pradesh      | 23                                                        |
| 35     | Uttarakhand        | 13                                                        |
| 36     | West Bengal        | 27 + 1 (Kolkata Municipal Corporation)                    |
| Total  | 600                |                                                           |

## State wise Out Patient, In-Patient and Home-Based Palliative Care Services for the year 2024-25

| S.No   | State/UT                                 |   Number of Patients who availed OPD services |   Number of Patients visited at home |   Number of Patients who availed IPD services |
|--------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Andaman &Nicobar Islands                 |                                          2871 |                                 2246 |                                           189 |
| 2      | Andhra Pradesh                           |                                        545312 |                               266675 |                                         20483 |
| 3      | Arunachal Pradesh                        |                                          4433 |                                  899 |                                          1617 |
| 4      | Assam                                    |                                         87836 |                                19545 |                                          6812 |
| 5      | Bihar                                    |                                        573318 |                                37381 |                                          4693 |
| 6      | Chandigarh                               |                                          2410 |                                  296 |                                           161 |
| 7      | Chhattisgarh                             |                                        252778 |                                46731 |                                         15087 |
| 8      | Delhi                                    |                                         35336 |                                   82 |                                          4112 |
| 9      | Goa                                      |                                          2728 |                                 1096 |                                           214 |
| 10     | Gujarat                                  |                                        270459 |                                73855 |                                         21996 |
| 11     | Haryana                                  |                                         45316 |                                15801 |                                          4515 |
| 12     | Himachal Pradesh                         |                                          3281 |                                 1552 |                                          6298 |
| 13     | Jammu and Kashmir                        |                                         45786 |                                 6947 |                                          7355 |
| 14     | Jharkhand                                |                                         23195 |                                 5379 |                                          2091 |
| 15     | Karnataka                                |                                        290681 |                                56009 |                                         50985 |
| 16     | Kerala                                   |                                       1347566 |                               977879 |                                         43939 |
| 17     | Ladakh                                   |                                          3289 |                                 2357 |                                          1025 |
| 18     | Lakshadweep                              |                                           923 |                                  386 |                                           136 |
| 19     | Madhya Pradesh                           |                                        217403 |                                89897 |                                         40532 |
| 20     | Maharashtra                              |                                        539427 |                               280553 |                                         68105 |
| 21     | Manipur                                  |                                          5790 |                                 7744 |                                           592 |
| 22     | Meghalaya                                |                                          8743 |                                 4049 |                                          3415 |
| 23     | Mizoram                                  |                                          7358 |                                 7473 |                                           475 |
| 24     | Nagaland                                 |                                          3621 |                                 2658 |                                           300 |
| 25     | Odisha                                   |                                        223056 |                                71370 |                                         37737 |
| 26     | Puducherry                               |                                         12341 |                                 2039 |                                           193 |
| 27     | Punjab                                   |                                         19997 |                                 5095 |                                          2701 |
| 28     | Rajasthan                                |                                         71905 |                                 3143 |                                          9564 |
| 29     | Sikkim                                   |                                          4596 |                                 4598 |                                           164 |
| 30     | Tamil Nadu                               |                                        521641 |                               258766 |                                         31583 |
| 31     | Telangana                                |                                        152799 |                                53322 |                                         22369 |
| 32     | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |                                          1731 |                                 3113 |                                           311 |
| 33     | Tripura                                  |                                         16424 |                                19763 |                                          1444 |
| 34     | Uttarakhand                              |                                          8108 |                                 2444 |                                          2535 |
| 35     | Uttar Pradesh                            |                                        368834 |                                33832 |                                         35477 |
|        | All India                                |                                       6082069 |                              2517663 |                                        550056 |