Punjab Healthcare Infrastructure Shows Growth But Regional Gaps Remain Stark
Even as Punjab has significantly expanded its healthcare infrastructure and improved the availability of medical personnel in recent years, stark regional disparities continue to persist across districts. This is particularly evident in rural areas where access to doctors, nurses, and hospital facilities remains highly uneven and inconsistent.
AAP Government's Healthcare Initiatives Since 2022
Since coming to power in 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has implemented numerous measures to strengthen the state's health system. These initiatives have focused on improving physical infrastructure, adding modern medical equipment, and actively recruiting doctors and nurses to address staffing shortages. However, despite these concerted efforts, significant gaps in both infrastructure and manpower still remain, especially in underserved and remote regions of the state.
Gradual Progress in Healthcare Facilities Expansion
Data from the Economic Survey of Punjab 2025-26 reveals that the state has made gradual but measurable progress in expanding healthcare facilities. In terms of physical infrastructure, the population served per medical institution increased to 6,871 individuals in 2025, compared with 6,847 individuals in 2024. Similarly, the population served per hospital bed rose slightly to 1,572 people in 2025, against 1,569 people in 2024. On average, a medical institution in Punjab now serves an area within a 2.68 kilometer radius, indicating improved geographical coverage.
Wide Disparities Across Districts in Infrastructure
Despite these overall improvements, wide and concerning disparities exist across different districts. For instance, in Malerkotla district, a single medical institution serves approximately 2,400 people, whereas in Amritsar district the same figure rises sharply to 10,717 individuals – more than two times higher than Malerkotla. A similar gap is visible in hospital bed availability. In Faridkot district, one hospital bed serves 836 individuals, while in Ludhiana district the figure rises dramatically to 2,957 people per bed – nearly four times higher than Faridkot.
Uneven Distribution of Healthcare Human Resources
Human resources in healthcare have shown overall improvement, though they remain unevenly distributed across the state. The population served per doctor declined to 495 individuals in 2025, compared with 510 individuals per doctor in 2024, indicating a gradual increase in doctor availability. The situation for nursing staff also improved, with one nurse serving 303 individuals in 2025, compared with 334 individuals in 2024.
However, district-level data highlights significant and troubling imbalances. In Tarn Taran district, one doctor caters to more than 26,395 individuals, whereas in Pathankot district the figure is less than 165 individuals per doctor, and in Faridkot district approximately 442 individuals per doctor. A similar disparity exists for nursing staff distribution. In Malerkotla district, a single nurse serves more than 84,494 individuals, while in Kapurthala district the number is about 144 individuals per nurse.
Maternal Healthcare Indicators Show Strength With Room for Improvement
Maternal healthcare indicators in Punjab remain relatively strong compared to national averages, though there is still considerable room for improvement. In the state, 94.3% of deliveries took place in health facilities, and 95.6% were assisted by skilled health personnel – both figures higher than the national average. However, states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where institutional deliveries are close to 100%, demonstrate that Punjab still has ground to cover in achieving optimal maternal health outcomes.
Awareness about antenatal care and professional assistance during childbirth remains an important focus area for healthcare authorities. Data also indicates that 89.6% of deliveries in Punjab were followed by post-natal check-ups for mothers. The state's performance on breastfeeding indicators is comparatively weaker. Among children born in the past two years, 92% were ever breastfed, lower than the national average of 95.9%. The median duration of breastfeeding among last-born children in the past three years is also below the national average, highlighting areas needing targeted intervention.
The persistent disparities underscore the need for more targeted healthcare policies that address regional imbalances and ensure equitable access to medical services across all districts of Punjab.
