Lok Sabha Question No. 5704 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-27
Subject: Special Recruitment Drive to Overcome Shortage of Doctors
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Ram Shiromani Verma

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5704 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026

## SPECIALRECRUITMENT DRIVE TO OVERCOME SHORTAGE OFDOCTORS

## †5704. SHRI RAM SHIROMANI VERMA:

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

- (a) whether the Government proposes to launch any special recruitment drive to overcome the shortage of doctors and healthcare workers in these districts and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has any plan to establish new hospitals or upgrade the existing ones to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in these areas and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

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

(a) to (c): Health is a State subject. 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 including strengthening of Human Resources for Health (HRH) and healthcare infrastructure, based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope. The details of the same can be accessed in the link below:

https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=1&sublinkid=1377&lid=744

Under NHM, following types of incentives and honorarium are provided for encouraging doctors and healthcare workers to practice in rural and remote areas of the country to mitigate the impact of shortage of doctors and 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.

In addition to the National Health Mission, Government of India has allocated the following funds to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure of the country:

The Pradhan Mantri -Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM) , launched in the Year 2021, with an outlay of Rs. 64,180 Crore for FY 2021 -22 to FY 2025-26, aims to address the critical gaps in primary healthcare, diagnostics, surveillance, and critical care services across rural and urban areas by providing a continuum of care at all levels, namely primary, secondary, and tertiary, by preparing the health care systems to respond effectively to pandemics and disasters.

-  15th Finance Commission (FC-XV): The Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV) has recommended grants through local governments for specific components of the heath sector to the tune of Rs.70,051 Crore for strengthening of Healthcare infrastructure in rural areas.
-  The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY): It aims at correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable teritiary healthcare services and to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country. The scheme has two components, namely, (i) Setting up of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS); and (ii) Up-gradation of existing Government Medical Colleges/Institutions (GMCIs). So far setting up of 22 New AIIMS and 75 projects of upgradation of GMCIs have been approved under the scheme in various phases.
-  Under Centrally Sponsored Scheme for ' Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals' , a total of 157 Medical Colleges have been approved in the country.

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