See Full Document Text
GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2090
TO BE ANSWEREDON31st JULY, 2026
TELECONSULTATIONSERVICES
2090. SMT.SUPRIYASULE:
SHRIMOHITE PATILDHAIRYASHEELRAJSINH:
SHRIBHASKAR MURLIDHAR BHAGARE:
PROF. VARSHAEKNATH GAIKWAD:
DR.AMOLRAMSINGKOLHE:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has assessed the effectiveness of teleconsultation services
provided through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) in Maharashtra in improving access to
specialist healthcare and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure, particularly in tribal, rural and
remote areas, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the number of teleconsultations conducted through AAMs in Maharashtra during the last
three years, district-wise;
(c) whether the Government has received complaints regarding poor internet connectivity,
shortage of specialist doctors, technical glitches, inadequate digital infrastructure, delayed
followup or low utilization of teleconsultation services in the State and if so, the details
thereofalongwith the corrective measures takenby the Government inthisregard; and
(d) whether the Government proposes to strengthen telemedicine infrastructure by integrating
AAMs with Government medicalcolleges anddistrict hospitals andincreasing the availability
of specialist consultationsin Maharashtra, if so, the detailsthereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH & FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRI PRATAPRAOJADHAV)
(a) to (d): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has implemented a telemedicine
service known as national telemedicine service (eSanjeevani) in all States/UTs in the country
includingMaharashtra.
As on 26th July 2026, eSanjeevani has served over 48 crore patients across the nation, of
which over 57% beneficiaries are women and around 14% beneficiaries are senior citizens.
The service is operational through a vast network of 1,41,171 health facilities (spokes),
supported by 19,173 hubs and 890 online OPDs, ensuring seamless access to quality
healthcare even in the most remote regions. Over 2.39 lakh healthcare providers, including
doctors, specialists, super-specialists and frontline health workers are actively using the
platform todeliverconsultations.Financial assistance are provided to States/UTs for enhancement of teleconsultation services
in the country, including in tribal, rural, urban and remote areas, based on the proposals
received in the form of Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under National Health
Mission (NHM). Approval is provided on the proposals in the form of Record of Proceedings
(RoPs) aspernorms& available resources.
Total teleconsultations conducted at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) in Maharashtra are
1.30crore,ason 30.06.2026.
The evaluation of the AAMs programme done by NITI Aayog highlights several encouraging
outcomes, including significant improvements in physical & digital infrastructure and
increased community footfall. The digital tools such as teleconsultation through e-Sanjeevani
has improved equitable access to specialist healthcare services at AAMs, particularly in rural,
tribal and remote areas where specialist availability is limited and has strengthened the
continuumof care.
The Government has taken the following steps to improve connectivity and equipment
availabilityin tribal,rural andremote areas:
i. Establishment of regional hubs at Medical colleges and Community Health Centres
(CHCs)/District Hospitals (DHs), staffed with teams of doctors to support the
underlyingspokes.
ii. Allowing doctors to conduct teleconsultations in shifts, enabling them to participate
alongside their regular duties. Including AYUSH practitioners for specific types of
consultations, therebyexpanding the pool of availablehealthcareproviders.
iii. EnablingspokestocallhubswithinStatesandUTsbasedontheavailabilityofdoctors,
thereby addressing challenges inprovidingteleconsultation services due toshortage of
medicalprofessionals infacilities.
iv. StrengtheningeSanjeevani'stechnologyinfrastructurewithuserfriendlyinterfacesand
AI driven toolstoenhance doctors' efficiency andreduce their workload. Additionally,
eSanjeevani is compliant with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) which
enables the secure exchange of health records and ensures that teleconsultations are
supported bycomprehensive,patient-centric data.
v. To address network connectivity issues, under the Digital India Programme, the
Government has taken steps to improve internet connectivity and digital infrastructure
across rural areas. Initiatives like BharatNet are providing high-speed internet to rural
India and supporting telemedicine services in some states. State Governments
collaborate with telecom providers to extend broadband coverage upto AAM-SHC
level.
vi. The Government conductstrainingandcapacitybuildingof healthcareprofessionals
for the effective use of telemedicine technology through the eSanjeevani platform.
eSanjeevani team at CDAC Mohali conducts virtual training sessions for doctors and
healthcareworkers tobuildtheir capacities.
*******