Parliament Question: CGHS Wellness Centre in Durgapur

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3340 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07THAUGUST, 2026 CGHS WELLNESSCENTRE INDURGAPUR

3340. SHRI.AZAD KIRTIJHA:

Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:

(a) whether the Union Government has received any formal representations regarding the establishment of a CGHS Allopathic Wellness Centre at Durgapur, West Bengal, if so, the detailsthereof;

(b) the details of the action taken bythe Government on repeated demands for the said centre alongwith the specific reasons for not accedingtothe same;

(c) whether the Government has taken note of the observation by the Standing Committee on Health regarding serious regional imbalance in the distribution of CGHS facilities and the need for their rapid expansion in underserved areas by relaxing existing norms, if so, the detailsandthe action takenthereon;

(d) whether the Government is aware that the establishment of the CGHS centre is likely to serve numerous Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel and defence personnel, employees of Durgapur Steel Plant, Railway staff and other public employees in the Durgapur-Asansol andthe surrounding areas, if so, the detailsthereof; and

(e)whether theGovernment hasadvised beneficiariestocontinueusing nearbycoveredcities, despite many existing centres remaining overburdened and understaffed, if so, the reasons therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a)to(e): The Government hasreceived the representations regardingestablishment of a newCGHS WellnessCentre inDurgapur.The establishment of a newWellness Centre issubject tothe availability of sanctioned posts and approval of requisite budgetary provisions which falls under the ambit of the Department of Expenditure.

This Ministry has laid down a revised procedure for empanelment of Health Care Organizations (HCOs) for providing CGHS facilities to the eligible Central Government pensioners/ serving employees. The offer of empanelment is open to HCOs located in cities already covered under CGHS as well as those district headquarters, which are not covered under CGHS, across India. CGHS beneficiaries shall be entitled to avail medical services directlyfrom such empanelled hospitals inaccordancewith the existing CGHS guidelines.

At present, there are 26 CGHS Wellness Centres (including AYUSH units and a polyclinic)functioning across the state of West Bengal (Darjeeling-01, Howrah-01, Jalpaiguri -01, Kolkata-18andNorth 24 Parganas- 05).

The Government is committed towards achieving Universal Health Coverage for all citizens, as per National Health Policy, through its various programs like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY), Ayushman Arogya Mandir (erstwhile Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centre), Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (ABHIM), Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), andNational HealthMission

(NHM) through its Rural and Urban components. In addition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Kalyani, Government Medical Colleges and District Hospitals are also functioninginthe State of West Bengal tocaterallthe health needs.

Central Government serving employees residing inareasnot coveredunderCGHS are eligible to avail medical treatment through the Authorized Medical Attendant (AMA) system under the Central Services (Medical Attendance) Rules, 1944. Pensioners residing in non-

CGHS areashave the following options: i. toavailFixedMedical Allowance (FMA); ii. to avail CGHS facilities (OPD and IPD) by enrolling in the nearest CGHS-covered cityonpaymentof the prescribed subscription; or iii. toavailFMAfor OPDtreatmentandCGHSfacilitiesfor IPDtreatmentonpayment of the prescribed subscription, inaccordance with the extantCGHS guidelines.

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