**Executive Summary**
This document provides the response from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to Unstarred Question No. 1339 concerning government health facilities in Gopalganj District, set to be answered on February 6th, 2026. It details the number and capabilities of health facilities under the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and other National Health Mission (NHM) schemes, as well as measures taken to improve healthcare delivery in the district, with data reported as of January 31st, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **AB-PMJAY Empanelment:**
* As of January 31, 2026, 13 government health facilities in Gopalganj district are empanelled under AB-PMJAY.
* These facilities meet the basic minimum eligibility criteria prescribed by the National Health Authority.
* **Ayushman Arogya Mandirs:**
* As of December 31, 2025, 227 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operationalized in Gopalganj district of Bihar.
* **National Health Mission (NHM) Initiatives:**
* The Government has undertaken various initiatives to improve maternal health indicators through schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, and Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan.
* Outreach camps are held to improve healthcare services, nutrition, and community mobilization, and to track high-risk pregnancies.
* **Support to States/UTs:**
* Under NHM, the Government provides technical and financial support to States/UTs to strengthen public healthcare services and promote disease prevention.
* **Primary Healthcare Strengthening:**
* Comprehensive primary healthcare is provided by strengthening Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) for an expanded range of services.
* **Teleconsultation Services:**
* Teleconsultation services are available at all operational AAMs to enable access to specialist services, addressing concerns of physical accessibility.
* **Essential Drugs and Diagnostics:**
* The Government rolled out the Free Drugs Service Initiative under NHM to ensure availability of essential drugs and reduce out-of-pocket expenditures.
* Financial support is provided for accessible and affordable pathological and radiological diagnostics services.
* **AB-PMJAY Awareness:**
* AB-PMJAY has a comprehensive media and outreach strategy to spread awareness and empower beneficiaries, including traditional media platforms.
* **Preauthorization Guidelines:**
* Hospitals are allowed to initiate requests for preauthorization up to 3 days post-admission for private hospitals and 5 days for public hospitals, enabling timely access during emergencies.
* **Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs):**
* Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) have been developed and documented for every health benefit package under AB-PMJAY, with deviations monitored.
**Impact Analysis**
**Healthcare Beneficiaries (Patients)**
* **Impact:** Increased access to a wider range of healthcare services including specialist consultations, free drugs and diagnostics, and financial coverage through AB-PMJAY.
* **Action Required:** Understand their rights and entitlements under AB-PMJAY and utilize available services and outreach initiatives.
**Government Health Facilities in Gopalganj District**
* **Impact:** Increased responsibilities and monitoring to meet AB-PMJAY eligibility criteria and follow Standard Treatment Guidelines.
* **Action Required:** Ensure adherence to STGs and maintain compliance with National Health Authority requirements for AB-PMJAY empanelment.
**States/UTs (including Bihar)**
* **Impact:** Receipt of technical and financial support under NHM to strengthen healthcare services.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the provided support to enhance public healthcare services and promote disease prevention.
**Hospitals (Public & Private)**
* **Impact:** Enrollment under AB-PMJAY, allowance to request preauthorization up to 3-5 days after admission, adherence to guidelines, and being closely monitored.
* **Action Required:** Abide by AB-PMJAY guidelines for preauthorization, ensure STGs are followed, and cooperate with claim processing monitoring.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): A centrally sponsored scheme aiming to provide financial risk protection to poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
National Health Mission (NHM): A flagship programme of the Government of India to address the health needs of under-served rural and urban areas.
Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM): Comprehensive primary healthcare provided by strengthening Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs).
Gopalganj district: The district in Bihar where the availability of government health facilities under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is being assessed.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The government ministry responsible for health policy in India, which is the subject of the parliamentary question.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 1339
TOBE ANSWERED ON 06TH FEBRUARY,2026
GOVERNMENTHEALTH FACILITIES IN GOPALGANJDISTRICT
1339. DR.ALOKKUMARSUMAN:
Will the Minister of HEALTHAND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleased tostate:
(a) the number of Government health facilities available in Gopalganj district under the Pradhan
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)andotherCentral healthschemes, Scheme-wise;
(b) whether these health facilities are adequately equipped to provide emergency and specialised
medicalcare,if so,the detailsthereof;
(c) whether the Government is taking any special measures to improve healthcare delivery in rural
andremote areasof the district, if so, the detailsthereof;
(d) the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) put in place to ensure timely access to healthcare
services during emergencies; and
(e) the additional policy and institutional measures proposed by the Government to further improve
the qualityandaccessibility of healthcareservices inthe future?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE INTHE MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAOJADHAV)
(a) to (e): As on 31.01.2026, 13 Government health facilities are empanelled under Ayushman
Bharat - PradhanMantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)in Gopalganj district.All healthfacilities
empanelled under AB-PMJAY, including public hospitals, meet the basic minimum eligibility
criteria as prescribed by the National Health Authority. Further, as on 31.12.2025,227 Ayushman
Arogya Mandirs are operationalized inGopalganj district of Bihar.
Government of India hasundertakenvarious initiatives/measuresunderthe National Health Mission
(NHM) to improve the maternal health indicators across the country through various schemes such
as Janani Suraksha Yojana, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva
Abhiyan, SurakshitMatritva Aashwasan andoptimizing postnatal care.Besides, outreachcampsare
held to improve the health care services, nutrition and community mobilization as well as to track
high-risk pregnancies.
Under NHM, the Government of India providestechnical andfinancial support to the States/UTs to
strengthen the public healthcare services and to promote disease prevention. Through, AyushmanArogya Mandirs (AAMs), comprehensive primary healthcare is provided by strengthening Sub
Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) for an expanded range of services
encompassing reproductive and child healthcare services, elderly care services, Communicable
diseases,non-communicablediseases,emergencymedicalservicesandotherhealthissues.
The teleconsultation services, available at all operational AAMs across the country including rural
areas, enablepeople toaccessthe specialistservices closertotheirhomesaddressingthe concernsof
physicalaccessibilityandcontinuumofcare.
To ensure availability of essential drugs and reduce the Out-of-Pocket Expenditure of the patients
visiting the public health facilities, the Government has rolled out the Free Drugs Service Initiative
under NHM. Under Free Diagnostics Service Initiatives, financial support to States/UTs isprovided
for accessible and affordable pathological and radiological diagnostics services closer to the
community,freeofcost,atalllevelsofpublichealthfacilities.
Additionally,AB-PMJAYhasacomprehensive mediaandoutreachstrategytospreadawarenessand
empower beneficiaries for theirrightsand entitlements.Thisincludes advertisement overtraditional
media platforms including newspapers, community radio, street plays, digital displays, radio
campaignsandmassmessagingetc.
As per the guidelines of AB-PMJAY, hospitals are allowed to initiate request for preauthorization
upto 3 days post the date of admission in case of private hospitals and 5 days post the date of
admissionincaseofpublichospitals.Thisfeatureenablestimely accesstohealthcareservices during
emergencies.
In order to access adequate supply of quality healthcare facilities to the scheme beneficiaries, a
network of public and private hospitals have been empanelled under AB-PMJAY. Standard
treatment guidelines (STGs) have been developed and documented for every health benefits
package underthe scheme.Any deviationfrom STGsby empanelled healthcareproviders isclosely
monitoredat the time of claimprocessing.
*****