No Immediate Plans to Upgrade PHCs to Sub‑District Hospitals in Pahalgam Region, Minister Clarifies

Addressing a query about upgrading primary health centres (PHCs) in Pahalgam, Salaar and Aishmuqam to sub‑district hospitals, the Health Minister confirmed that no such proposal is under consideration. The department is focusing on strengthening existing facilities rather than expanding the network of sub‑district hospitals.

She also outlined the IPHS‑2022 guidelines, noting that districts with populations under five lakh and an existing district hospital do not require sub‑district hospitals. For populations between five and ten lakh, a single sub‑district hospital may be justified, with an additional one for every extra ten lakh residents. According to these norms, a district with up to twenty lakh people could have one district hospital and two sub‑district hospitals.