National Health Mission (NHM)

The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched in 2005 as a comprehensive, programme-mode approach to strengthen India’s public health system. It subsumed the earlier National Rural Health Mission and, in 2013, expanded to include the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), creating a single continuum of care from village to metropolis.

NHM is financed through a 60:40 central–state funding ratio (90:10 for northeastern and Himalayan states, and 100% for Union Territories without legislatures). States prepare Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) that allocate resources across infrastructure, human resources, drugs, diagnostics and demand-side schemes like the Janani Suraksha Yojana.

In FY 2024–25, the Union Budget allocated roughly Rs 37,252 crore to NHM. The mission is decentralised: funds flow from the centre to the State Health Society, then to District Health Societies, and finally to blocks and facilities. This guide walks you through every layer so you know exactly where to go and what you are entitled to receive free of charge.

NHM is not a single scheme but an umbrella of targeted sub-missions. The Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) strategy is the backbone, focusing on life-cycle interventions from conception to age 18.

Other major components include the National Disease Control Programme (NDCP) covering tuberculosis, leprosy, vector-borne diseases and blindness; the National Mental Health Programme; the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS); and the newly launched National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission.

For urban areas, NUHM establishes Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) in slums and low-income clusters. Each UPHC serves roughly 50,000 people and provides outpatient care, immunisation, antenatal care and referral linkages. The Rapid Response Teams under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) also fall under NHM and are activated during outbreaks.

Under NHM, a substantial list of services and medicines is guaranteed free at public health facilities. This includes free normal and caesarean deliveries at government institutions, free transport under the Janani Express / Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), free drugs and diagnostics for inpatients, and free treatment of serious illnesses for children up to one year.

Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) — upgraded sub-centres and primary health centres — now deliver 12 packages of services: care for pregnancy and neonatal health, child health, family planning, adolescent health, management of communicable diseases, NCD screening, care for common ophthalmic and ENT problems, basic oral health care, geriatric care, mental health, emergency medicine, and free essential drugs and diagnostic services.

If you are denied any of these entitlements, you can escalate through the District Health Society, State Health Society, or the national grievance portal at the NHM website. The guide provides sample complaint templates and timelines for resolution.

Most NHM services require no separate registration beyond the local facility register. However, you should carry an Aadhaar-linked RCH ID (Reproductive and Child Health) for maternity services, which is created during your first ANC visit. HWC services can be accessed with just an Aadhaar number; no prior enrollment is needed.

For grievances, every district has a District Programme Manager (DPM) and a grievance cell. States are required to publish quarterly reports on fund utilisation, Human Resources for Health (HRH) availability, and service statistics on their State Health Mission portals.

At the national level, the NHM dashboard (nhm.gov.in) provides real-time data on key indicators such as institutional delivery rates, full immunisation coverage, and tuberculosis notification rates. Use these dashboards to hold local officials accountable when services are missing or substandard.

NHM is a centrally sponsored mission, but implementation varies significantly across states. Kerala and Tamil Nadu consistently rank highest on facility readiness and human-resource availability, while Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh continue to struggle with doctor vacancies and drug stock-outs.

If you live in a low-performing state, use the VHSNC / Mahila Arogya Samiti mechanism to document gaps and channel complaints. The Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) at each facility level is empowered to spend untied funds on urgent needs — you can petition the RKS to address infrastructure or supply shortfalls.

For urban migrants and informal workers, NUHM-specific initiatives like the convergence of UPHCs with Migrant Health Centres and the mapping of vulnerable populations through community volunteers (Swasthya Karamcharis) are under way but unevenly implemented. Knowing your UPHC catchment area is the first step to claiming urban entitlements.

• 01All residents of India are eligible for NHM-funded services at public health facilities
• 02No income or BPL certificate is required for free services under JSSK, JSY, or routine immunisation
• 03Aadhaar is preferred but not mandatory; alternative IDs accepted for RCH registration
• 04Migrant workers can access NUHM services in any urban centre without permanent-address proof
• 05Senior citizens and persons with disabilities receive priority at HWCs and district hospitals

• §Aadhaar card or any government photo ID
• §RCH ID (for maternity services; created at first ANC visit)
• §JSY card or BPL/APL card (for cash-assistance tracking)
• §Previous medical records (for continuity of NCD care)
• §Disability certificate (if applicable, for priority services)

• Facility staff demanding payment for services that are categorised as free under JSSK / NHM
• Refusal to treat migrants or non-local residents at UPHCs
• Denial of ambulance transport on grounds of remote location (all areas must be covered under 108/102)
• Charging for diagnostics listed under the free essential diagnostics list
• Requiring BPL ration card as mandatory proof for services that are universal

• National Health Mission Framework for Implementation, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Indialink ↗
• NHM Programme Implementation Plan Guidelines 2024–25, MoHFWlink ↗
• Health and Wellness Centre Operational Guidelines, MoHFW / NHSRClink ↗
• Rogi Kalyan Samiti Framework and Untied Fund Utilisation Rules, NHM Finance Divisionlink ↗