The Union Government has taken a series of measures to improve the availability and accessibility of quality healthcare services in tribal, remote and hard-to-reach areas across the country, with a focus on strengthening public health infrastructure, human resources and digital health delivery.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha on Friday, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav said that the National Health Mission (NHM) continues to provide technical and financial support to States and Union Territories based on their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs), with special emphasis on underserved and marginalized populations in rural and tribal regions.
As part of this effort, a total of 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) have been established nationwide by upgrading Sub-Health Centres and Primary Health Centres. Of these, 30,817 AAMs are operational in 178 tribal districts, delivering comprehensive primary healthcare services ranging from preventive and promotive care to curative, rehabilitative and palliative services.
To improve physical access to healthcare in difficult terrains, NHM norms have been relaxed for tribal, hilly and hard-to-reach areas. Population thresholds for setting up Sub-Health Centres, Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres have been reduced, while the deployment of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) has been enhanced to one per habitation. In addition, up to four Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) per district are permitted in such areas, compared to two in plain districts.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), with a total outlay of ₹64,180 crore, infrastructure development is being supported across the healthcare system. So far, 168 Integrated Public Health Laboratories and 110 Critical Care Hospital Blocks have been approved in tribal districts to strengthen emergency and critical care services.
Jadhav said that the government is also working towards universal health coverage for tribal women through the RMNCAH+N strategy under NHM, focusing on antenatal care, institutional deliveries, post-natal services and family planning. Schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) continue to promote safe institutional deliveries, supported by regular outreach activities by ASHAs and frontline health workers.
Telemedicine has emerged as a key tool in bridging healthcare gaps in remote regions. Teleconsultation services are available at all operational AAMs, enabling access to specialist care closer to home. As of December 31, 2025, 42.66 crore teleconsultations have been conducted nationwide through these centres.
Mobile Medical Units play a crucial role in serving inaccessible villages. As per NHM data, 1,477 MMUs were deployed across the country as of June 30, 2025. Under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), further relaxations allow up to 10 MMUs per district in areas inhabited by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Currently, 763 MMUs under PM-JANMAN and 155 MMUs under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan are operational in tribal regions.
In parallel, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is building an interoperable digital health platform to enable seamless sharing of health records, improve efficiency in service delivery and reduce the cost of care across public and private healthcare institutions.
Jadhav said that monitoring and evaluation of health programmes are carried out regularly through review meetings, field visits, mid-term assessments and annual Common Review Missions. Data on healthcare infrastructure and human resources is also published annually in the Health Dynamics of India report.
