LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 2181
ANSWERED ON- 12/12/2025
MEDICAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO INDIANS
2181. SHRI MALAIYARASAN D
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-
(a) whether the Government provides assistance to Indian citizens who face medical emergencies while living, working or travelling abroad, if so, the details of the policies, guidelines and standard operating procedures governing such assistance;
(b) the mechanism through which Indian Missions and Posts extend support in medical emergencies, including the availability of emergency helplines, liaison with hospitals, facilitation of medical evacuation or repatriation and informing family members, especially for individuals from Kallakurichi Lok Sabha constituency;
(c) the number of medical emergency cases handled by Indian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates during the last three years, country-wise and year-wise;
(d) whether financial assistance is provided to Indians in distress during serious medical emergencies, including from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), during the last three years, if so, the details of amount disbursed; and
(e) the steps being taken to strengthen support systems for Indian migrant workers?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a & b) Indian Missions/Posts abroad extend all possible medical assistance to the Indian citizens who face medical emergencies abroad. The nature of help extended includes:
i) Indian nationals in need of emergency assistance, including in case of emergencies, have multiple channels for reaching out to the Indian Embassy/Consulate anytime. The Embassy/Consulate operates 24X7 helplines and Whatsapp numbers. The Embassy/Consulate also promptly respond to emergency situations posted in social media tagging the Missions’ social media handles.
ii) In situations where the Indian nationals are not having valid medical insurance or support from the employer and they are not able to bear the medical expenses on their own, the Embassy/Consulate provides assistance either by paying for the expenses from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) or, wherever possible, requesting the hospital or concerned local authorities to waive off the medical bills.
iii) Wherever possible, the Embassy/Consulate also connects the Indian nationals in need of medical assistance with medical centres and other community social workers who provide assistance on pro-bono basis.
iv) The Embassy/Consulate reaches out to the hospital, and also makes physical visits depending upon the situation, to take updates on the medical condition and feasibility of discharge or repatriation to India. The Embassy/Consulate coordinates with the family members of the patient.
v) The Embassy/Consulate helps in medical repatriation, including in wheel chair, medical stretcher and air ambulance, of Indian nationals by actively coordinating with the patient’s family members, the foreign employer, the hospital, the airlines, and the local authorities.
vi) In case the cost of repatriation is not the responsibility of the sponsor (in cases of illegal residency status) but the patient or the family is not able to bear the expense, the Embassy arranges the repatriation expense through ICWF.
vii) In case of Indian nationals in need of urgent medical repatriation but facing illegal residency status or travel ban, the Embassy/Consulate proactively works to secure no objection or exit permit from the local government authorities.
(c & d) The requisite details of medical assistance provided from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) in the last three years by Indian Missions abroad are given in Annexure-A
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(e) The Government has established various mechanisms to enable Indians including emigrant workers abroad to reach out in case they need any assistance or to register any grievances. They can contact the Missions/Posts through various channels like walk-in, email, multilingual 24x7 emergency numbers, grievance redressal portals like MADAD, CPGRAMS, eMigrate, social media, toll free helplines, whatsapp numbers and Missions/Posts have also launched mobile Apps to enable Indian nationals to contact respective Indian Missions/Posts when in distress or in emergency situation.
Our Missions/Posts abroad also utilize the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide the following services/assistance to the Indian diaspora in distress on a means tested basis:
(i) Transportation of mortal remains to India or cremation with the consent of the family;
(ii) Emergency medical care;
(iii) Legal assistance;
(iv) Boarding and lodging; and
(v) Air passage for stranded Indians
Furthermore, Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) have been set up in New Delhi and at Dubai (UAE), Riyadh & Jeddah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to provide assistance, guidance and counselling to Indians in distress. Consular camps and Open Houses are also held by Indian Missions/Posts to reach out to the Indian nationals abroad who might need any assistance/guidance from the Government.
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