Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare addresses a question regarding health infrastructure in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. It outlines the technical and financial support provided to States/UTs, including West Bengal, under the National Health Mission (NHM). Details of approvals and fund allocations for strengthening healthcare in West Bengal are available online. The ministry also details various initiatives under NHM to provide maternal and child health services, including in Jalpaiguri.
Key Points / Main Content:
Financial and Technical Support:
* The Ministry provides technical and financial support to States/UTs, including West Bengal, based on Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under the National Health Mission (NHM).
* Approvals are given based on norms and available resources, as outlined in the Record of Proceedings (RoPs).
* Details of approvals for strengthening healthcare in West Bengal are available on the Ministry's website.
Fund Allocations for West Bengal:
* Funds approved for building infrastructure development under NHM for West Bengal:
* 2022-23: ₹8,924.88 Lakhs
* 2023-24: ₹10,840.43 Lakhs
* 2024-25: ₹8,735.08 Lakhs
* 2025-26: ₹20,223.75 Lakhs
Maternal and Child Health Initiatives under NHM:
* Support for Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances for transporting pregnant women and sick infants under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). ALS is supported for a population of 5 lakhs, and BLS for a population of 1 lakh.
* Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a demand promotion and conditional cash transfer scheme for promoting institutional delivery.
* Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) entitles all pregnant women and sick infants (up to one year) delivering in public health institutions to free delivery services, including caesarean sections, drugs, diet, diagnostics, transportation, and blood transfusions.
* Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides free, assured, and quality antenatal checkups by a Specialist Medical Officer on the 9th of every month.
* Extended PMSMA strategy ensures quality antenatal care (ANC), especially for high-risk pregnant (HRP) women, with financial incentives for identified HRP women and accompanying ASHAs.
* LaQshya improves the quality of care in labor rooms and maternity operation theaters.
* Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) provides assured, dignified, respectful, and quality healthcare at no cost for pregnant women and newborns.
* Optimizing Postnatal Care aims to strengthen postnatal care quality by emphasizing the detection of danger signs in mothers and incentivizing ASHAs for prompt detection, referral, and treatment of high-risk postpartum mothers.
* Support for Functionalization of First Referral Units (FRUs) to improve access to quality care for pregnant women.
* Setting up Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Wings and Operationalization of Obstetric High Dependency Units/Intensive Care Units (Obst. HDU/ICU) at high caseload facilities.
Infrastructure in Jalpaiguri District:
* Two Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) and seven Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSUs) are established at public health facilities.
* One functional Maternal and Child Health (MCH) wing and two functional First Referral Units (FRUs).
* Two LaQshya-certified Labour Rooms and Maternal Operation Theatres (MOTs) as of June 2025.
Impact Analysis:
States/Union Territories (including West Bengal):
* Impact: Benefit from financial and technical support for strengthening public healthcare systems.
* Action Required: Submit Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) to the Ministry to receive support and adhere to the guidelines and norms provided.
Pregnant Women and Infants:
* Impact: Access to improved maternal and child health services, including free delivery, antenatal checkups, and transportation.
* Action Required: Utilize the available services and schemes provided by the government at public health facilities.
Healthcare Providers (Doctors, Nurses, ASHAs):
* Impact: Enhanced resources and infrastructure to provide better care, along with incentives for specific tasks.
* Action Required: Implement the various initiatives and schemes effectively, ensuring quality care and proper documentation.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for health policy.
Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal: A district in the state of West Bengal, India, which is the focus of health infrastructure improvements.
National Health Mission (NHM): A centrally sponsored scheme of the Indian government to address the health needs of under-served rural areas.
West Bengal: A state in eastern India receiving technical and financial support for strengthening public healthcare system.
Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): A scheme to provide free and no expense delivery, including caesarean section, to pregnant women and sick infants in public health institutions.
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): A demand promotion and conditional cash transfer scheme for promoting institutional delivery.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): A program providing pregnant women a fixed day, free of cost, assured and quality antenatal checkup by a Specialist Medical Officer.
LaQshya: An initiative to improve the quality of care in labour room and maternity operation theatres.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3381
TO BE ANSWERED ON08.08.2025
STRENGTHENING OFHEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE INJALPAIGURI
3381. DR. JAYANTAKUMAR ROY:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has reviewed the health infrastructure in Jalpaiguri for referral
transport, emergency obstetric care andneonatalunits;
(b) if so, the detailsthereof;
(c) whether there are any proposals to upgrade existing Community Health Centres (CHCs)
tomodel healthcentres intea garden-dominatedblocksof Jalpaiguri; and
(d) if so, the detailsthereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (d): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support
to the States/UTs including West Bengal tostrengthen the public healthcaresystem including the
health infrastructure for referral transport, emergency obstetric care and neonatal units, 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) asper norms & available resources. Detailsof the approvals givenfor the
strengthening healthcare to the State of West Bengal are available at website of Ministry of
HealthandFamily Welfareat the Uniform Resources Locator(URL) asunder:
https://nhm.gov.in/index4.php?lang=1&level=0&linkid=62&lid=75Details of funds approved during the current FY 2025-26 & for the last three FYs i.e 2024-25;
2023-24; 2022-23 for development of building infrastructure under NHM to the State of West
Bengal are asunder:
(Amount inLakhs)
State/UT 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
West Bengal 8,924.88 10,840.43 8,735.08 20223.75
Under National Health Mission (NHM) the Government of India implements various initiatives
to provide maternal and child health services including referral transport, emergency obstetric
care and neonatal units in all the States/UTs including in Jalpaiguri districts of West Bengal as
under:
NHM is supporting states for Advance Life Support (ALS), Basic Life Support (BLS)
ambulancesfor transportation of pregnantwomen andsickinfantsunderJanani ShishuSuraksha
Karyakram (JSSK). As per the norms. ALS is being supported for 5 lakh population and BLS
for 1lakhpopulation.
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a demand promotion and conditional cash transfer
scheme for promotinginstitutional delivery.
Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) entitles all pregnant woman and sick infants
(up to one year of age) delivering in public health institutions to have absolutely free and no
expense delivery, including caesarean section. The entitlements include free drugs,
consumables, free diet during stay, free diagnostics, free transportation and free blood
transfusion, if required. Similar entitlements are also in place for sick infants up to one year
of age.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides pregnant women a
fixedday, free of cost, assured andqualityantenatal checkup by a Specialist/Medical Officer
on the 9th day of every month. ExtendedPMSMAstrategy ensures quality antenatal care
(ANC) to pregnant women, especially to high-risk pregnant (HRP) women and individual
HRP tracking until a safe delivery is achieved by means of financial incentivization for theidentified high-risk pregnant women and accompanying ASHA for extra 3 visits over and
above the PMSMAvisit.
LaQshya improves the quality of care in labour room and maternity operation theatres to
ensure that pregnant women receive respectful and quality care during delivery and
immediatepost-partum.
Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) provides assured, dignified, respectful and
quality healthcare at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for every pregnant
woman and new-born visiting public health facilities to end all preventable maternal and
newborn deaths.
OptimizingPostnatal Careaims to strengthen the quality of post-natal care by laying
emphasis on detection of danger signs in mothers and incentivization of Accredited Social
Health Activists (ASHAs) for prompt detection, referral & treatment of such high-risk
postpartum mothers.
Supporting Functionalization of First Referral Units (FRUs) by ensuring manpower,
blood storage units, referral linkages to improve the access to quality of care for pregnant
women
Setting up of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Wings and Operationalization of
Obstetric High Dependency Units & Intensive Care Units (Obst. HDU & ICU) at high
caseloadfacilities toimprove the qualityof care providedtomothersand children.
Under Facility Based Newborn Care initiative two Special New-born Care Units (SNCUs)
and seven Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSUs) are established at public health facilities of
Jalpaiguri district for care of sick andsmall newborns.
The district Jalpaiguri of west Bengal hasone functionalMaternal andChild Health(MCH) wing
and two functional First Referral Units (FRUs). The district Jalpaiguri also has two LaQshya
certified Labour Rooms and Maternal Operation Theatres (MOTs) as on June 2025 to provide
qualityemergency obstetric care.
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