The Centre has outlined the ongoing initiatives under the National Health Mission (NHM) and other flagship schemes to strengthen public healthcare infrastructure in North Bengal, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said on Friday.
During the ongoing session of Parliament, Mr Bista raised a series of questions regarding the condition of healthcare facilities in West Bengal and the status of central assistance for the state. In his written reply, Union minister of state for health and family welfare Prataprao Jadhav provided details on the status of Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Sub-Health Centres (SHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) across the state, including the North Bengal districts.
“This level of transparency will help us push for further improvements,” Mr Bista said after receiving the response.
According to the minister’s statement, the Centre has released over Rs 8,652 crore to West Bengal under the NHM between FY 2019-20 and FY 2025-26 (up to 19 November 2025).
In addition, under the 15th Finance Commission (FC-XV) Health Grants, the state has been approved Rs 4,318.63 crore over five years (2021-22 to 2025-26) for establishing or strengthening:
• 341 Block Public Health Units
• 1,551 building-less Sub-Health Centres
• 80 building-less Primary Health Centres
• 7 building-less Community Health Centres
• 1,584 Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (U-AAMs)
Under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), West Bengal has been allotted Rs 1,309.32 crore for developing:
• 385 building-less Sub-Health Centres
• 204 U-AAMs
• 23 Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHLs)
• 22 Critical Care Blocks (CCBs)
For North Bengal, the sanctioned works include one IPHL (Rs 1.25 crore) and one CCB (Rs 23.75 crore) in Darjeeling district, while Kalimpong has been approved one IPHL (Rs 1.25 crore). These facilities, Mr Bista noted, will significantly improve diagnostic and critical-care capacity in the hill districts.
While the Centre emphasised that implementation rests with the states depending on local requirements and fund availability, the allocations underline a cooperative effort to upgrade healthcare services.
“I urge the state government to prioritise these works and publish block-wise updates to ensure greater accountability,” Mr Bista added.