Parliament Question: Upgradation of Railway Subdivisional Hospital in Tirupati

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1677 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2026 UPGRADATION OF RAILWAY SUBDIVISIONAL HOSPITAL IN TIRUPATI 1677. SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that the Railway Subdivisional Hospital in Tirupati District is functioning without adequate regular medical staff and essential medical infrastructure, causing serious hardship to railway employees and their families and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether patients from Tirupati are being routinely referred to the Guntakal Division Hospital which is located far away resulting in delay in treatment and additional financial and physical burden and if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of the reasons for not upgrading the Tirupati Railway Hospital despite the growing number of employees and dependents; and (d) the details of the measures taken and proposed to strengthen the hospital with sanctioned doctors, paramedical staff, diagnostics and specialist services? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (d): Indian Railways provide comprehensive healthcare to Railway employees, both serving and retired along with their eligible dependents. The healthcare facilities are provided through a network of railway health institutes. Presently, there are 582 Health Units and 128 Railway Hospitals existing on Indian Railways. § Page 1 of 3These Railway hospitals have required infrastructure, essential medical equipment and trained healthcare personnel to provide comprehensive healthcare to Railway beneficiaries. Medical facilities including infrastructure available at Subdivisional Railway hospital Tirupati are adequate to cater to the medical care needs of Railway beneficiaries. Preventive, Promotive, Curative, Industrial and Primary healthcare is provided by Sub-Divisional Railway Hospital Tirupati. The patients requiring secondary & tertiary healthcare are referred to empanelled Private Hospitals to ensure optimal clinical care. Eight Private Hospitals are empanelled by Sub-Divisional Railway hospital Tirupati to provide specialised treatment to Railway beneficiaries. Specialist consultants are also engaged on a case-to-case basis as and when required. Establishment of new healthcare facilities and up-gradation of existing ones is an on-going process, depending on the requirements of the beneficiaries and developments in the field of Medical Science. Occurrence and filling up of vacancies including those of medical staff are continuous processes on Indian Railways considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality of operation. Adequate and suitable manpower is provided to cater to the regular operations, changes in technology, mechanisations and innovative practices. The vacancies are filled up primarily by placement of indents by Railways with Recruitment agencies as per operational and technological requirements. Recruitments in Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS) are made through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the Ministry as a whole. Railways, being Central Government organization conduct recruitment for non-gazetted personnel on all India basis. Indian Railways also contribute towards medical education by being a part of the Post Graduate medical education programme run by National Board Page 2 of 3of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). Post Graduate Diploma, Doctorate and Fellowship medical courses are being run for both Railway and Non-Railway doctors under this programme. Indian Railways has now decided to establish Post Graduate Medical Institutes attached with Railway hospitals. This shall further contribute towards enhancement of number of specialist medical professionals in India. First one has been started at Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi. ***** Page 3 of 3