Parliament Question: Contribution of India's Skilled Medical Professionals

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 5564 TOBE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026 CONTRIBUTION OFINDIA'S SKILLED MEDICALPROFESSIONALS 5564. SHRIMOHITE PATILDHAIRYASHEELRAJSINH: SMT.SUPRIYASULE: PROF. VARSHAEKNATH GAIKWAD: SHRISANJAYDINAPATIL: SHRIBHASKAR MURLIDHAR BHAGARE: DR. AMOLRAMSING KOLHE: Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a) whether the Government recognises the contribution of India’s skilled medical professionals and advanced healthcare infrastructure in delivering high-quality treatment across specialised fields such as cardiology, oncology, organ transplantation, orthopaedics andneurosciences, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether it is a fact that Maharashtra, as a leading healthcare hub, has benefited from targeted initiatives to strengthen tertiary and quaternary care services in public and private hospitals, if so, the detailsthereof; (c) whether advanced technologies, digital health platforms and quality assurance mechanisms are being promoted in Maharashtra to improve patient outcomes, clinical efficiency and continuityof care,if so, the detailsthereof; (d) whether any steps have been taken by the Government to enhance training, skill upgradationandretention of medicalprofessionals inthe Statetomeet the growing demand for specialised care,if so, the detailsthereof; and (e) whether the Government proposes further support for integrating digital health solutions and modern treatment protocols across hospitals in the State toreinforce its role asa centre for advancedandaffordable healthcareandif so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a)to(e): The Government recognises the significant contribution of India’s skilled medical professionals and robust healthcare infrastructure in delivering high-quality, affordable careacross specialised fields. The Government duly recognised the invaluable contribution and selfless service of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein doctors, nurses, paramedics and frontline workers played a critical role in managing the crisis. The Government also provided financial protection through schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19, offering insurance cover to frontline workers. Inaddition,effortswere made toensure adequatesupplyof personal protective equipment(PPE),capacitybuilding,andprioritisationofhealthcareworkersinvaccinationdrives, therebyacknowledgingtheirdedicationandsafeguardingtheirwell-being. Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of the Government of India aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage by providing accessible and affordable healthcare. It has two key components: HealthandWellnessCentres(HWCs)for deliveringcomprehensive primarycare, and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which offers health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation to economically vulnerable families. The scheme focuses on reducing out-of-pocket expenditure, improving accesstoqualityhealthcare services, andstrengthening the overallpublic healthsystem. Further, the primary responsibility of strengthening public healthcaresystem lieswith the respective State/UTGovernments. TheMinistry of HealthandFamilyWelfareprovidestechnical and financial support to the States/UTs including State of Maharashtra to create and strengthen quality healthcare infrastructure, training and skill upgradation for healthcare workers, etc in remote areas based on the proposals received in the form of Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under National Health Mission. Government of India provides approval for the proposal in the form of Record of Proceedings (RoPs) as per norms& available resources. The details are availableinpublic domainat: https://nhm.gov.in/index4.php?lang=1&level=0&linkid=55&lid=68 In addition to the National Health Mission, Government of India is implementing the schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV) Health Sector Grants, Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), ‘Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals’, etc in States/UTs including Maharashtra to improve the healthcare infrastructure and service deliveryinbackward andunder-servedregions: The Government promotes adoption of advanced technologies and digital health platforms underthe Ayushman BharatDigital Mission (ABDM). Initiatives include creation of digital health IDs, electronic health records, telemedicine services, and hospital information systems to improve continuity of care. Quality assurance mechanisms such as National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) and accreditation frameworks are implemented to enhance patientoutcomesandclinical efficiency. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country. It will bridge the existing gapamongst different stakeholders of Healthcare ecosystem through digital highways. Under the ABDM, specific measures have been instituted to ensure data quality, patient consent, and interoperabilityin the digitalhealthecosystem. States/UTs have been supported to put in place a robust IT enabled supply chain management system like Drugs and Vaccines Distribution Management Systems (DVDMS). To facilitatethe monitoringof supply chain managementactivity. Under NHM, several targeted measures are undertaken to enhance training, skill upgradation andretention of medicalprofessionals in the countryincludingMaharashtra with measures such as Hard Area Allowance for specialist doctors, flexibility to States to offer negotiable salaries including “You Quote We Pay”, non-monetary incentives like preferential admission in postgraduate courses and multi-skilling of doctors through training in Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) and Life Saving Anaesthesia Skills (LSAS). ****