Indore: Healthcare Initiative for Tribal Districts

In an endeavour to lure doctors to provide proper healthcare services in 20 tribal-dominated districts of Madhya Pradesh, the state's Public Health and Family Welfare Department has announced major incentive benefits under Mukhya Mantri Sushen Chikitsak Protsahan Yojana (CM Sushen Doctors Encouragement Scheme).

The incentives amount under this move ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 75,000 which will be paid to permanent and contractual doctors working as medical officers and specialists in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) in identified areas along with existing salaries. Moreover, residential quarters will be made available for these doctors out of which 1,112 need to be established by the government.

Over 89 tribal development blocks in 20 districts have been identified to implement this scheme including:

• Chindwara
• Betul
• Dindori
• Dhar
• Khanwa
• Alirajpur
• Khargone
• Barwani
• Siwni
• Shahdol
• Umaria
• Annuppur
• Ratlam

These 89 blocks have been sorted as backward and extremely backward areas. 21 of these areas have been termed as extremely backward; the rest, 68 are backward.

According to the scheme, the amount mentioned below will be paid as incentive allowance to medical officers, Specialist (Diploma) and Specialist (Degree) respectively to permanent and contractual doctors.

• Those who serve at extremely backward areas will get incentive ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 75,000.
• Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000 will be given to those who will work in backward areas.

For residential purposes of specialists in Tribal development areas, the government has 61 quarters available at present, and 621 more will be established. Whereas for medical officers, 153 are available and 491 quarters will be built.

As conveyance allowance for doctors from their residential quarters to PHCs; Rs 2.67 crore per year has been sanctioned by the government.

It is expected that this scheme will end the shortage of doctors in these remote areas.

An order in this regard was sent to CMHOs of 20 districts with tribal population to implement it.

The document released by the health department informing about the effect is attached below:

Download the document