New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh are the top three States in India facing a maximum shortage of surgeons at Community Health Centres (CHC) in its rural areas. Disclosing this, the Rural Health Statistics 2021-22 has pointed out that against the required number of 829 surgeons, Uttar Pradesh has 194 surgeons in position at present making a shortfall of 635 surgeons.
Similarly, against the required number of 348 surgeons, the CHCs in the rural areas of West Bengal do not have even a single surgeon. In Madhya Pradesh, the existing strength of surgeons at the rural CHC is 10 against the required number of 332 making a shortfall of 322 surgeons.
Interestingly, against the required number of 5480 surgeons across different States in India, the present strength is 920 making a total shortfall of 4560 surgeons. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh with a shortfall of 625 obstetricians and gynecologists, Rajasthan of 485 and Tamil Nadu 347, are the top three States facing a shortfall of such experts.
Although the total required number of obstetricians and gynecologists across India is 5480, the present strength of such experts is 1414 making a shortfall of 4068 obstetricians and gynecologists. Different States across India are also facing a shortfall of physicians at their rural CHCs with Uttar Pradesh (493), Rajasthan (459), and West Bengal (348) leading the list.
According to the Rural Health Statistics 2021-22, there is a shortage of pediatricians as well in different States and UTs. As per the statistics, Uttar Pradesh with a shortage of 645 pediatricians, Rajasthan 484, and Tamil Nadu 378 are leading the list of such States.
Against the required number of 21920 total specialists including surgeons, obstetricians and gynecologists, physicians, and pediatricians, States and UTs in India presently have only 4485 such specialists making a total shortfall of 17435.
Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said that despite the diversity in social, economic, religious, cultural, and other factors, effective, efficient, and affordable healthcare services are desired by everyone.
"Due to this, the requirement for healthcare services varies from State to State and region to region. This publication (Rural Health Statistics 2021-22) gives a snapshot of the functional health facilities and the available human resources throughout the country. It also facilitates the identification of additional key resources for better management of the public health delivery system," Mandaviya said.
Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that such statistics provide reliable inputs to monitor the progress of various flagship programs as well as the progress towards achieving the vision of the national health mission by capturing the health infrastructure and monthly service delivery data right from the facility level to the national level. The Rural Health Statistics 2021-22 contains data up to March 2022.
Interestingly, India has registered an increase in sub-centers (SC), primary health centers (PHC), and community health centers (CHC) in its rural areas in 2022 in comparison to 2005. As per the statistics, there is an increase of 11909 numbers of SCs from the year 2005. A significant increase in SCs has been observed in the States of Rajasthan (3011), Gujarat (1858), Madhya Pradesh (1413), and Chhattisgarh (1306).
There is an increase of 1690 PHCs in 2022 in comparison to the year 2005 with States and UTs like J&K (557), Karnataka (457), Rajasthan (420), Gujarat (404), and Assam (310) registering the maximum increase. As per the government statistics, there is an increase of 2134 CHCs from the year 2005.
"The increase in CHCs from the year 2005 has been observed in the States of Uttar Pradesh (443), Tamil Nadu (350), Rajasthan (290), West Bengal (253) and Bihar (168)," the health statistics said.
