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Health: Infrastructure, Outcomes, and Flagship Schemes

Human Resource: Health, Education, Unemployment, Poverty Eradication

Paper I · Unit 2 Section 3 of 13 0 PYQs 37 min
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Health: Infrastructure, Outcomes, and Flagship Schemes

2.1 Health Infrastructure

Rajasthan's public health delivery system operates on a three-tier structure mandated by the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS):

  • Sub-Centres: Lowest tier, covering 3,000-5,000 population in plains (2,000-3,000 in tribal/hilly areas). Staffed by Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and Multi-Purpose Worker (Male). Handle maternal and child health, family planning, and first-contact care.
  • Primary Health Centres: Covers 20,000-30,000 population. Has one medical officer and supports 6 sub-centres. First-level referral for sub-centres.
  • Community Health Centres: Covers 80,000-1,20,000 population. Has 30 beds, surgical and specialist facilities. Rajasthan also runs Raj-SURAKSHA — a 24x7 emergency response scheme with tele-ECG facility at CHCs and a target of 250 advanced ambulances.

Medical Education Expansion: Rajasthan has 43 medical colleges as of 2024-25, with 5 new institutions added during 2024-25 alone — a record single-year expansion driven by the state government's goal of one medical college per district. The Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS) covers 13.65 lakh state government employee families with a cumulative expenditure of ₹2,370.82 crore.

Digital Health: 6.20 crore ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) IDs have been generated in Rajasthan, integrating patient records under the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).

2.2 Key Health Outcome Indicators

Indicator NFHS-4 (2015-16) NFHS-5 (2019-21) India NFHS-5
IMR (per 1,000 live births) 41.3 30.3 35.2
MMR (per 1,00,000 live births) 199 ~163* 97
TFR (Total Fertility Rate) 2.4 2.0 2.0
Under-5 Mortality Rate 51 36 41.9
Institutional Deliveries (%) 84.0 93.7 88.6
Full Immunisation (%) 54.8 76.0 76.4

*Source: NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare); MMR from SRS Special Bulletin (estimate)

Infant Mortality Rate: Rajasthan's IMR of 30.3 (NFHS-5) shows substantial improvement from 41.3 in NFHS-4, but remains above the national SRS 2020 figure of 28 per 1,000 live births. The Total Fertility Rate has reached replacement-level fertility at 2.0, matching the national average — a major demographic milestone for a state that had a TFR of 3.2 as recently as 2005-06 (NFHS-3).

Malnutrition: NFHS-5 data shows 31.8% of children under 5 are stunted (height-for-age) and 19.7% are wasted (weight-for-height) in Rajasthan. Both are higher than national averages of 35.5% and 19.3% respectively (Rajasthan slightly better on stunting from NFHS-4's 39.1%).

2.3 Flagship Health Schemes

  • Previously known as Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana, launched 1 May 2021; rebranded as MAAY in 2024 following integration with PM-JAY.
  • Coverage: Up to ₹25 lakh per family per year — among the highest in India.
  • Covers 1,798 medical packages and procedures; cashless treatment at empanelled public and private hospitals.
  • Eligibility: All permanent Rajasthan residents. Priority groups (NFSA families, SECC households, small farmers, EWS, senior citizens aged 70+) get free coverage. General residents pay ₹850/year (50% state-subsidised).
  • National portability introduced in 2025: Rajasthan residents can access 30,000+ PM-JAY empanelled hospitals across India. Between April–November 2025, 7,898 patients from outside Rajasthan accessed treatment under Rajasthan's scheme.
  • Includes ₹5 lakh accidental death benefit under the MADBY component.

MAA (Mukhyamantri Amrit Aahaar) Yojana: Covers 1.33 crore families with nutritional support; total expenditure ₹1,675 crore. Focuses on maternal and child nutrition.

Raj-MAMTA: Statewide mental health scheme with a Centre of Excellence at SMS Medical College, Jaipur; Mental Health Care Cells at all district headquarters; mandatory counselling in higher secondary schools.

Raj-SURAKSHA: Emergency response scheme with tele-ECG at CHCs, CPR training mandatory for driving licences, and 250 advanced ambulances in deployment pipeline.

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (national): Provides ₹5 lakh/year health coverage to economically vulnerable families. Rajasthan residents with MAAY coverage can use both schemes, with PM-JAY acting as the base and MAAY providing additional cover up to ₹25 lakh. Under the Ayushman Vay Vandana expansion (launched October 2024), all senior citizens aged 70+ receive ₹5 lakh cover irrespective of income.

Source: Rajasthan Economic Review 2025-26, Chapter 8; scheme official notifications 2024-25