**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 1128 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 5, 2025, regarding the status of rural health centers, specifically the Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Chitrakoot and Banda districts of Uttar Pradesh. The question addresses resource shortages, operational facilities, and government schemes aimed at strengthening these health centers and increasing Mobile Medical Units. The response details the State government's perspective and central government initiatives.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Resource Availability in Chitrakoot and Banda Districts:**
* According to information provided by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, there are no staff or resource shortages in CHCs and PHCs in Chitrakoot and Banda districts.
* The State Government reports that all PHCs and CHCs in these districts have an adequate number of doctors, lab technicians, nurses, and sufficient medicines.
* **Number of Functional Centres:**
* Banda district: 47 PHCs and 8 CHCs
* Chitrakoot district: 28 PHCs and 7 CHCs
* **Government Schemes to Strengthen Primary Healthcare Services:**
* **National Health Mission (NHM):** Provides financial and technical support to States/UTs based on requirements outlined in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs).
* **PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM):** Aims to increase investments in public health and other health reforms to improve health access in rural areas.
* **The 15th Finance Commission (XV-FC):** Provides ₹70,051 crore for 2021-26 to strengthen primary healthcare services.
* **India COVID-19 Emergency Response & Health System Preparedness Package (ECRP-I & II):** Launched during the pandemic to build a resilient health system and provide free COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination.
* **Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY):** Offers cashless healthcare coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per eligible family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization.
* **Mobile Medical Units (MMUs):**
* The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) provides need-based financial and technical support to the States/UTs each year through the annual State Programme Implementation Plan (SPIP) for MMUs.
**Impact Analysis**
**State/UT Governments**
* **Impact:**
* Primarily responsible for improving healthcare facilities, establishing new health facilities, and strengthening existing ones.
* Also responsible for ensuring the availability and service adequacy of Mobile Medical Units (MMUs).
* **Action Required:**
* States/UTs need to propose the required number of MMUs, including operational costs, through their annual State Programme Implementation Plan (SPIP).
**Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW)**
* **Impact:**
* Provides need-based financial and technical support to States/UTs each year to strengthen primary healthcare services.
* Approves proposals for strengthening healthcare systems, including proposals for MMUs, based on norms and available resources.
* **Action Required:**
* Review and approve proposals from States/UTs for strengthening healthcare systems, including proposals for MMUs, based on norms and available resources.
* Provide financial and technical support to States/UTs based on need.
**Citizens (Specifically in Uttar Pradesh and those eligible for AB-PMJAY)**
* **Impact:**
* Improved access to healthcare services in rural areas through government schemes.
* Potential beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat scheme with access to cashless healthcare coverage.
* **Action Required:**
* Citizens should avail the benefits of the government's healthcare services, if eligible.
* The eligible families should enroll themselves in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Primary ministry responsible for health-related policies and programs mentioned in the document.
National Health Mission (NHM): A program that provides financial and technical support to states/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems.
PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM): A mission focused on increasing investments in public health to improve healthcare access in rural areas.
Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): A scheme offering cashless healthcare coverage for secondary and tertiary hospitalization.
Uttar Pradesh: The state where Chitrakoot and Banda districts are located, whose health centers are the subject of the question.
GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 1128
TO BE ANSWERED ON05thDECEMBER 2025
STATUS OFRURALHEALTHCENTRES
†1128. SMT.KRISHNADEVISHIVSHANKAR PATEL:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether many Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in
Chitrakoot and Banda districts in the State of Uttar Pradesh are facing severe staff and resource
shortages, if so, the detailsthereof;
(b) the number of CHCs/PHCs currently operating in both districts along with the number of
CHCs/PHCs inlackof doctors, labtechnicians, nurses andmedicines
(c)the detailsongoingGovernment schemesaimedtostrengthen these healthcentres; and
(d) whether the Government proposes to increase the number of Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) in
rural healthservices across the country,if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) & (b) : Health is a state subject, hence, the responsibility for improving the healthcare facilities
lies with the respective State/UT Governments. As per the information provided by the State
Government of Uttar Pradesh, there is no shortage of staffs and resources in Community Health
Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Chitrakoot and Banda districts of the State.
Further, State Government of Uttar Pradesh has informed that all PHCs and CHCs have adequate
numberof Doctors, LabTechniciansandNurses aswell assufficient medicinesare availableinthese
centres. The numnberof CHCs/PHCs currentlyoperatinginbothdistricts isasfollows:
Districts Numberof functional Centres
PHCs CHCs
Banda 47 8
Chitrakoot 28 7
(c): Health being a State subject, the establishment of new health facilities and the strengthening of
existing centres fall under the jurisdiction of the respective State Governments. However, the
following schemes have been undertaken to support States and UTs in strengthening primary
healthcareservices:i. National Health Mission (NHM) - Under NHM financial and technical support is provided
to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems based on the requirements posed by them in
their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs). Government of India provides approval for the
proposal inthe form of Recordof Proceedings (RoPs) aspernorms& availableresources.
ii. 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. The measures under the PM-ABHIM focus on developing capacities of health systems and
institutions across the continuum of care at all levels, primary, secondary and tertiary, to prepare
healthsystems inresponding effectively tothe current andfuture pandemics/disasters.
iii. The 15th Finance Commission (XV-FC) health grants complement existing budgets by
providing ₹70,051 crore for 2021-26 to strengthen primary healthcare services. These grants
empower local governments toupgrade Sub-Centers( SHCs), PHCs, and Urban Ayushman Arogya
Mandir.
iv. lndia COVID-19 EmergencyResponse & HealthSystemPreparedness Package (ECRP-
I & ll) : These packages, launched during the pandemic, aimed to build a resilient health system
andprovide free COVlD-19 testing, treatment, andvaccination. Thisreduced OOPE for pandemic-
relatedhealthcare expenses.
v. Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) offers cashless
healthcare coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per eligible family per year for secondary and tertiary
hospitalization. AB PM-JAY beneficiaries are eligible to take the benefits of the scheme through a
network of over31,466hospitals inwhich 14,194are private hospitals.
(d): Health being a State subject, the primary responsibility to ensure availability and service
adequacy of Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) lies with the State/UT Governments. However, the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) provides need-based financial and technical
support tothe States/UTs eachyearthrough the annualStateProgrammeImplementationPlan(SPIP)
duly appraised by the National Program Coordination Committee (NPCC). States have been given
this flexibility to propose for the required number of MMU including the operational costs/full
operationalcosts based onthe requirement andthe gapanalysis intheirrespective State/UT.
*****