**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 1295 in Lok Sabha regarding the poor public health infrastructure in Kerala, to be answered on 06.02.2026. It details the steps taken and proposed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to improve healthcare in Kerala and other regions of the country, focusing on technical and financial support provided to States/UTs. The document highlights various initiatives and schemes aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure and accessibility, especially in rural and underserved areas.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Ministry Support:**
* The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to States/UTs, including Kerala, based on Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under the National Health Mission.
* Government of India provides approval for the proposal in the form of Record of Proceedings (RoPs) as per norms & available resources.
* **Accessibility and Teleconsultation:**
* Details of the approvals given for the strengthening healthcare in rural areas of the country are available at website of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
* Teleconsultation services are available at all operational AAMs to address physical accessibility and shortage of service providers.
* **Mobile Medical Units:**
* Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) are supported under NHM to provide outreach services in remote villages.
* As of 30.06.2025, 1477 MMUs have been deployed across the country.
* **PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM):**
* This mission aims to increase investments in public health and other health reforms to improve access to healthcare in rural areas.
* Administrative approvals have been granted to Kerala for FY 2021-22 to 2025-2026, totaling Rs. 404.63 Cr., for construction/strengthening of 14 IPHLs and 14 CCBs.
* One Integrated Public Health Lab (IPHL) and one Critical Care Block (CCB) have been allocated to Kasargod district in FY 2023-24.
* **Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV):**
* Rs. 2958.02 Crore has been approved for Kerala for the period FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26.
* Rs. 2310.96 Cr. has been released for the establishment and strengthening of various health units including SHCs, PHCs, CHCs, Block Public Health Units, and Urban- AAMs.
* **Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY):**
* This scheme aims to correct regional imbalances in tertiary healthcare services.
* Approvals have been granted for the upgradation of four Government Medical Colleges/Institutions (GMCIs) in Kerala, including infrastructure such as Super Speciality Blocks and Trauma Care Centres.
* Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram - Super Speciality Block
* Kozhikode Medical College - Trauma Care Centre with Super Speciality Block
* T.D. Medical College, Alappuzha - Super Speciality Block
* SCTIMST, Trivandrum - Super Speciality Block
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Kerala State Government
**Impact:** Beneficiary of technical and financial support from the Ministry for strengthening public healthcare system.
**Action Required:** Continue submitting Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under the National Health Mission, in order to get the necessary approvals to execute their healthcare plans.
**Stakeholder:** Citizens of Kerala, especially in rural areas and Kasaragod district
**Impact:** Improved access to healthcare services through teleconsultation, MMUs, upgraded health facilities, and specialized care blocks.
**Action Required:** To access the health services, citizens can use the available teleconsultation services.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The primary ministry responsible for providing technical and financial support to states to strengthen public healthcare, as per the response to the parliamentary question.
National Health Mission: Scheme under which Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) are received from States/UTs, including Kerala, to strengthen the public healthcare system.
PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM): A mission focused on increasing investments in public health and other health reforms to provide better access to health in rural areas.
Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV): An entity that approved funds for strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the State of Kerala from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26.
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY): A scheme aiming to correct regional imbalances in affordable tertiary healthcare and augment medical education facilities.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 1295
TO BE ANSWERED ON06.02.2026
POORPUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE IN KERALA
1295. SHRIRAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government is aware that Kasaragod district continues to face serious
public health infrastructure deficiencies, forcing patients to travel long distances or
dependonprivate hospitals inneighbouring States,if so, the detailsthereof;
(b) whether it isa fact that criticallyill patients, including endosulfan-affectedpersons, face
severe hardship due to the lack of tertiary and super-speciality care facilities within the
district, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has assessed the regional imbalance in advanced healthcare
availabilityin Northern Kerala,if so, the detailsthereof;
(d) whether any proposal for establishing a central-level medical institution or upgrading
existing facilities inKasaragod hasbeenexamined,if so, the detailsthereof; and
(e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure equitable access to
qualityhealthcare for geographicallyisolated districts of the country?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (e): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial
support to the States/UTs including Kerala to strengthen the public healthcare system, based
on the proposals received in the form of Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under
National HealthMission. Government of India provides approval for the proposal inthe form
of Recordof Proceedings(RoPs) asper norms& availableresources. Detailsof the approvalsgiven for the strengthening healthcare in rural areas of the country are available at website of
Ministry of HealthandFamily Welfareat the Uniform Resources Locator(URL) asunder:
https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=1&sublinkid=1377&lid=744
Further, teleconsultation services are available at all operational AAMs across the
country including rural areas, enables people to access the specialist services closer to their
homes addressing concerns of physical accessibility, shortage of service providers and to
facilitatecontinuum of care.
Also, Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) are supported under NHM to provide outreach
services in remote villages with difficult terrain which are underserved and inaccessible. As
per NHM-MIS report, a total of 1477 MMUs have been deployed across the country, as on
30.06.2025.
PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) envisages
increased investments in public health and other health reforms to provide better access to
health in rural areas. Administrative approvals have been accorded to the State of Kerala for
five years (i.e. FY 2021-22 to 2025-2026) for an amount of Rs. 404.63 Cr. for construction/
strengthening of 14 IPHLs at District level and 14 CCBs at District Hospitals and Medical
collegelevel.
Also, one (01) Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHL) and one (01) Critical Care
Blocks(CCB) have beenaccordedto the district of Kasargodinthe FY2023-24.
Under Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV) for the State of Kerala, Rs.2958.02
Crore has been approved for the five year period from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26 and Rs.
2310.96 Cr. has been released so far for establishment and strengthening of 1205 Building
less SHCs, 116 Building less PHCs, 41 Building less CHCs, 152 Block Public Health Units,
and380 Urban- AAMs.
The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) aims at correcting
regional imbalances in the availability of affordable tertiary healthcare services and to
augment facilities for quality medical education in the country. Under the Scheme approvals
has been accorded for upgradation of four Government Medical Colleges/ Institutions
(GMCIs) at for the Stateof Kerala. Detailsare asunder:State No. Name of GMC/ Institute Approved
Infrastructure
Kerala 1. Medical College, SuperSpeciality
Thiruvananthapuram Block
2. Kozhikode Medical Trauma Care Centre with
College Super SpecialityBlock
3. T.D. Medical College, Super SpecialityBlock
Alappuzha
4. SCTIMST, Trivandrum Super SpecialityBlock
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