Question : Lack of Health Facilities

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware about the lack of health facilities in the country including Delhi and NCR, if so, the reasons therefor;

(b) whether the Government is also aware that AIIMS, Delhi is not functioning as referral hospital and that good medical facilities are not available to patients across the country and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government have prepared any scheme for better medical facilities in the light of suggestions/ recommendations made by a Parliamentary Committee; and

(d) if so, the details of the schemes prepared and the time limit of their implementation?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)
(a): As per Rural Health Statistics (RHS), there is a shortage of public health facilities as per State/ UT wise details given at Annexure-I. The details are not maintained in respect of NCR. One of the key reasons for lack of health facilities is lack of public investment in healthcare. Public health being a State subject, the primary responsibility to ensure availability of adequate public health facilities lies with the State Governments. Nonetheless, under NHM, financial and technical support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems including setting up of/upgradation of public health facilities, based on the requirements posed by the States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs).
(b): The patients, who come to AIIMS and require hospitalization for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purpose, are admitted either from the OPD’s (including specialty clinics) or through the casualty/emergency. In the casualty/emergency life saving situations, all efforts are made to admit the seriously ill patient in the hospital as far as `practically’ possible. In case of non-availability of bed in the emergency, the emergency patients are first evaluated and given appropriate treatment as may be required to stabilize them clinically and after adequate stabilization, they are sent to other Government hospitals for admission and further management. The AIIMS hospital entertains not only referral patients but also direct cases coming to AIIMS on their own. To improve access to affordable high quality tertiary medical care facilities, 6 more AIIMS have been set up and 12 more have been approved.
Contd……..




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(c) & (d): Government does seriously consider the recommendations of Parliamentary Committees for improving medical facilities. Under the flagship programme of National Health Mission (NHM), financial and technical support is provided to the States/UTs to strengthen their health care system to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care.
Various measures have been taken under the National Health Mission to act on the recommendations of Parliamentary Standing Committees e.g. as regards recommendation to take credible action towards reducing IMR and MMR to targeted levels, key measures taken are provided at Annexure-II. As regards adopting innovative strategies to control population growth, different steps taken are given at Annexure-III.