Parliament Question: Use of Biometric Attendance System in PHCs

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2196 TO BE ANSWERED ON31.07.2026 USEOFBIOMETRIC ATTENDANCESYSTEMIN PHCs 2196.SHRIARVIND GANPATSAWANT: Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a) whether the Government tracks the performance of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) using biometric attendance or similar mechanisms to monitor the regular presence of healthcare staff,if so,the detailsof itspan-India coverage; (b) the number of PHCs that have successfully achieved National Quality Assurance Standards(NQAS) certification during the last two years; (c) the number of PHCs which have been fully integrated into the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) framework to maintain digitalhealth registries and interoperable electronic healthrecords; and (d) the volume and nature of public grievances received regarding non-functional or understaffed PHCs through central portals like the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and the average turnaround time taken by the Government toresolve them? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) to (d): ‘Public Health’ & ‘Hospitals’ are State subject. The primary responsibility for monitoring the performance of PrimaryHealth Centres(PHCs) andensuring regular presence of health care staff through biometric attendance or similar mechanisms lies with respective States/UTs. However, Government of India has issued a letter dated 20th September, 2024 to all States to implement IT-enabled attendence systems at health facilities to streamline the attendance process, reduceadministrative burdens, andprovide accuratedata forperformance evaluation,ensuring that staff are fulfilling their duties effectively and consistently by leveraging technology. As per the information provided by states/ UTs, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chandigarh are using contactless/ Facial Recognition systems. Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana have Biometric Attendance Systemsinplace. A total of 1,535 PHCs and 1,927 PHCs achieved the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certificationduring FY2024–25andFY2025–26,respectively. As on 27th July 2026, 15,204 PHCs are using Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)- enabled HMIS, which enables them to create, share and access inter-operable health records underABDM. The Ministry receives public grievances related to healthcare services and public health facilities through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) portal. These grievances are examined, evaluated and addressed on case-to- case basis. ****