The Indian government plans to increase its budget for rural healthcare services by 16% this year and has promised doctors extra pay to work in remote rural areas. But experts in public health have cautioned that attracting doctors into India’s remote and underserved villages will take more than just money.

The health ministry announced last week that it would make available funds for “significantly higher monetary incentives” for doctors who accept positions in primary healthcare centres in the “most difficult and inaccessible areas.”

Health officials have said the increase in pay for doctors would depend on the location, with salaries rising with the toughness of the area. At some …