Bhubaneswar: Odisha spent Rs 7,915.22 crore under the National Health Mission (NHM) during the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
In a written reply to a question by Baragada MP Pradeep Purohit, Jadhav said the Centre released Rs 3,677.50 crore to Odisha under the NHM during the two financial years.
Of the total central allocation, Rs 1,916.79 crore was released to Odisha during 2024-25, while the state reported expenditure of Rs 3,585.01 crore. In 2025-26, the Centre released Rs 1,760.71 crore, against which the state reported expenditure of Rs 4,330.21 crore.
The ministry clarified that the figures for central releases represent grants provided by the Central Government and do not include the State’s share.
Jadhav said public health and hospitals are primarily a State subject, and the responsibility for strengthening the public healthcare system, including infrastructure, manpower and service delivery, rests with the respective States and Union Territories.
The Centre, however, provides technical and financial assistance to States, including Odisha, under the NHM based on proposals submitted through Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs). Approvals are issued through Records of Proceedings (RoPs), subject to prescribed norms and the availability of resources.
The ministry also highlighted the role of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) in strengthening primary healthcare. The centres provide a wider range of services, including screening and management of non-communicable diseases, maternal and child healthcare, mental health services, oral healthcare, eye and ENT care, and palliative care.
According to the government, the AAM initiative seeks to shift the focus of primary healthcare from a predominantly curative approach to preventive and promotive healthcare at the community level.
To improve the quality of public health facilities, the government has also implemented the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), covering infrastructure, human resources, medicines, diagnostics, equipment, quality and governance.
An IPHS dashboard and open-source toolkit were launched in June 2024 to enable health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, to conduct self-assessments against the IPHS 2022 standards. The tools are also intended to help authorities identify gaps and undertake corrective measures.
The ministry further said the implementation of NHM programmes, including infrastructure development, healthcare manpower and service delivery, is regularly monitored through review meetings, field visits, mid-term reviews and Common Review Missions.
Healthcare facilities in districts such as Baragada and Jharsuguda are also covered under the Health Dynamics of India (HDI) 2023-24 assessment framework, the ministry said.
