‘Rs 3,003 cr released to J&K under NHM in 3 years’

New Delhi, Aug 7: Jammu and Kashmir received Rs 3,003.12 crore in central releases under the National Health Mission (NHM) during the financial years 2023-24 to 2025-26, while expenditure of Rs 3,247.96 crore was reported during the period, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
As per the reply by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav to an unstarred question raised by MPs Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh and Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai, the central release to Jammu and Kashmir stood at Rs 805.22 crore in 2023-24, Rs 1,040.76 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 1,017.14 crore in 2025-26.
The ministry said that the expenditure under NHM in Jammu and Kashmir was Rs 956.95 crore in 2023-24, Rs 1,110.30 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 1,180.71 crore in 2025-26.
For Ladakh, the central release under NHM stood at Rs 120.44 crore in 2023-24, Rs 135.98 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 142.24 crore in 2025-26, totalling Rs 398.66 crore. The expenditure reported during the same period was Rs 119.67 crore, Rs 150.50 crore and Rs 138.98 crore respectively, totalling Rs 409.15 crore.
The MPs had asked whether thousands of posts of specialist doctors, physicians, nurses and paramedical staff were lying vacant against the sanctioned strength in Central and state government hospitals and sought details of vacant posts, measures taken to fill them, incentives for specialist doctors and nursing staff, as well as projects and funds for new medical colleges, district hospitals and trauma care centres.
In reply, Jadhav said public health and hospitals are State subjects and the primary responsibility for strengthening the public healthcare system rests with state governments and Union Territories.
He said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to States and UTs, including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, under the National Health Mission based on proposals submitted through Programme Implementation Plans.
“NHM provides several incentives to encourage doctors and healthcare workers to serve in rural, tribal and remote areas, including hard-area allowance for specialist doctors, honorarium for specialists and doctors trained in emergency obstetric care and life-saving anaesthesia skills, and incentives for doctors and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives,” the minister said.
States are also allowed to offer negotiable salaries to attract specialists, while non-monetary incentives include preferential admission in postgraduate courses for staff serving in difficult areas and improved accommodation facilities in rural areas.
Jadhav said multi-skilling of doctors and skill upgradation of existing healthcare personnel are also supported under NHM to address shortages of specialists.
He further said the Family Adoption Programme has been incorporated into the MBBS curriculum to improve healthcare access in rural areas, while under the District Residency Programme of the National Medical Commission, second- and third-year postgraduate students of medical colleges are posted in district hospitals.
On medical colleges, the minister said the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district or referral hospitals gives preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts where there is no existing government or private medical college.
He said all 157 medical colleges envisaged under the scheme have already been approved.
The ministry clarified that the expenditure figures are provisional and include expenditure against Central releases, State releases and unspent balances at the beginning of the year. The Central releases mentioned in the annexure relate to Central Government grants and do not include the State share contribution. (KNO)