As per Rural Health Statistics 2019-20 (as on 31.03.2020) there are 56581 nos. & 7239 nos. of position of doctors and other health staff are vacant in rural and urban area, respectively.

Public Health and Hospitals being a State Subject, all the administrative and personnel matters, including support for outsourcing or engagement of doctors and other health human resources lies with the respective State/UT Governments. However, under National Health Mission (NHM), Government of India provides financial and technical support to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems including support for recruitment of doctors and other health human resources on contractual basis, based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope.

Under NHM, support is also provided to States/UTs for 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.

Following types of incentives and honorarium are provided to staff for ensuring service delivery in rural and remote areas in the country:

Honorarium to Gynecologists/ EmoC trained, Pediatricians & Anesthetist/ LSAS trained doctors for conducting C Sections.

Incentives for staff for serving in rural and remote areas: Hard area allowances and special packages are provided to attract health HR, especially medical officers and specialists, to remote and difficult areas.

Other incentives for service delivery: Incentives like special incentives for doctors, incentive for ANM for ensuring timely ANC checkup and recording, incentives for conducting Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health activities.

Non-Monetary incentives such as preferential admission in post graduate courses for staff serving in difficult areas and improving accommodation arrangement in rural areas have also been introduced under NHM.

Multi-skilling of doctors is 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.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.