Executive Summary:
Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3358 addresses vacancies in Government Health Institutions across India, particularly in rural and aspirational districts, for the year 2024-25. It includes specific details for Odisha, including Kendrapara. The response outlines the measures being taken to fill vacancies and strengthen healthcare delivery. The question was to be answered on August 8, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Vacancy Details:**
* Details of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff in Government healthcare facilities, including Odisha, are available on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website.
* Specific data for doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff in Primary Health Centres (PHC), Community Health Centres (CHC), and District Hospitals (DH) of Kendrapara District is provided in an annexure.
* **Odisha's Measures to Address Vacancies:**
* Additional weightage marks in postgraduate entrance exams for doctors, with mandatory postings in tribal areas for three years during initial appointments.
* Grading of health institutions in tribal areas based on vulnerability indicators, offering place-based incentives up to ₹40,000 for medical officers and ₹80,000 for specialists.
* Allocation of a ₹1 crore corpus fund to tribal districts for hiring specialists and super specialists at negotiable rates.
* **National Health Mission (NHM) Incentives:**
* Hard area allowance for specialist doctors serving in rural and remote areas.
* Honorarium to Gynecologists (EmOC trained), Pediatricians, and Anesthetist (LSAS trained doctors) to increase availability of specialists for conducting Cesarean Sections in rural remote areas.
* Incentives for doctors, Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) for timely Antenatal Checkup (ANC) checkup and recording, and for conducting Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health activities.
* States allowed to offer negotiable salaries and implement strategies like "You Quote We Pay."
* Non-monetary incentives such as preferential admission in postgraduate courses and improved accommodation in rural areas.
* **Additional Strategies:**
* Multiskilling of doctors supported under NHM to overcome the shortage of specialists.
* Skill upgradation of existing HR is another major strategy under NRHM for achieving improvement in health outcomes.
* **Kendrapara District Incumbency Position**
* Total of 1892 sanctioned posts
* 1087 positions filled
* 805 Vacant positions.
Impact Analysis:
* **Doctors, Nurses, and Paramedical Staff:**
* *Impact:* May benefit from incentives, allowances, and opportunities for skill upgradation and postgraduate education.
* *Action Required:* Consider serving in rural or tribal areas to avail incentives and enhance career prospects.
* **Government of Odisha:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing measures to fill vacancies and strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
* *Action Required:* Continue implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of the outlined strategies, including offering incentives and negotiable salaries.
* **Citizens in Rural and Aspirational Districts:**
* *Impact:* Improved access to healthcare services due to the filling of vacancies and strengthening of healthcare delivery.
* *Action Required:* No direct action required; however, they may experience better healthcare access and quality as a result of these measures.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for health policy.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question about vacancies in government health institutions was raised.
SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA: Member of Parliament who raised the unstarred question No.3358 regarding vacancies in government health institutions.
Odisha: A state in India for which specific vacancy details in health institutions are requested and provided.
Kendrapara District: A district in Odisha for which specific vacancy details in Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, and District Hospitals are requested.
Primary Health Centres: First point of contact with a registered medical practitioner, plays very important role in providing healthcare services in rural areas
Community Health Centres: Referral units for PHCs. 30 bedded hospitals
National Health Mission (NHM): A centrally sponsored scheme to address the health needs of under-served rural areas.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO.3358
TO BE ANSWERED ON08.08.2025
VACANCIES INGOVERNMENT HEALTH INSTITUTIONS
3358. SHRIBAIJAYANTPANDA:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate:
(a) whether a large number of posts of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff remain vacant in
Government Health Institutions across the country particularly in rural and aspirational districts
inthe year2024-25;
(b) if so, the detailsthereof,State/UT-wiseincluding Odishaindicating thenumberof sanctioned,
filledandvacantposts;
(c) the specific status of such vacancies in Odisha, specifically Kendrapara including primary
healthcentres, community healthcentresanddistrict hospitals; and
(d) the steps being taken by the Government to fill these vacancies and strengthen healthcare
delivery?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) and (b) : The details of doctors, nurses and paramedical Staffs in Government healthcare
facilities is available on the website of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at Uniform
Resources Locator(URL) includingOdisha isasunder:
https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Health%20Dynamics%20of%20India%20%28Infrastruct
ure%20%26%20Human%20Resources%29%202022-23_RE%20%281%29.pdf(c): As per information provided by Odisha, the details of Doctors, Nurses and Paramedical
Staff inPrimary Health Centres (PHC), Community HealthCentres(CHC) and District Hospitals
(DH) of Kendrapra District isenclosedat Annexure.
(d): As informed by Government of Odisha, in order to fill the vacancies and strengthen
healthcaredelivery, the following measures have beenimplemented:
• Additional weightage marksare providedtodoctorsinpostgraduate entranceexams, with
mandatorypostings intribal areas for three yearsduring initialappointments.
• Health institutions in tribal areas are graded based on vulnerability indicators, offering
place-basedincentives of upto₹40,000for medicalofficersand₹80,000 for specialists.
• A corpus fund of ₹1 crore is allocated to tribal districts for hiring specialists and super-
specialists at negotiable rates.
Under NHM, following typesof incentivesand honorarium are providedfor encouragingdoctors
topracticeinrural andremote areasof the country:
• Hard area allowance to specialist doctors for serving in rural and remote areas and for
their residential quarters so that they find it attractive to serve in public health facilities in such
areas.
• Honorarium to Gynecologists/ Emergency Obstetric Care (EmoC) trained, Pediatricians
& Anesthetist/ Life Saving Anaesthesia Skills (LSAS) trained doctors is also provided to
increase availability of specialists for conductingCesarean Sectionsin rural & remote area.
• Incentives like special incentives for doctors, incentive for Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife
(ANM) for ensuring timely Antenatal Checkup (ANC) checkup and recording, incentives for
conductingAdolescent Reproductive andSexualHealthactivities.
• States are also allowed to offer negotiable salary to attract specialist including flexibility
instrategiessuch as“You Quote We Pay”.
• Non-Monetary incentives such as preferentialadmission inpost graduate courses for staff
serving in difficult areas and improving accommodation arrangement in rural areas have also
beenintroducedunderNHM.
• Multi-skilling of doctorsissupported underNHMtoovercome the shortageof specialists.
Skill upgradation of existing HR is another major strategy under NRHM for achieving
improvementinhealth outcomes.
***Annexure referred to the reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question Number
3358foranswer on08.08.2025.
TheDetails of Doctors andParamedicsin KendraparaDistrict
IncumbencyPosition
Sl.
Post
No. Sanctioned
In-position Vacancy
Strength
1 Doctors / Medical Officers 403 139 264
2 MPHS (M) 80 21 59
3 MPHS (F) 98 17 81
4 Pharmacist 83 63 20
5 Nursing Officer 386 314 72
6 Ophthalmic Assistant 3 1 2
7 LaboratoryTechnician 37 29 8
8 Radiographer 17 11 6
9 MPHW (M) 358 154 204
10 MPHW (F) 427 338 89
TOTAL 1892 1087 805