Rural health centres see 70% shortage of specialist doctors, says report

Out of 13,232 sanctioned posts of specialists at rural CHCs, only 4,413 have been filled

New Delhi: Despite the post graduate medical seats seats increasing by more than 100 per cent in the last ten years, rural India still suffers from nearly 70 per cent shortage of specialist doctors, according to the data released by the Union Health Ministry on Monday.

The shortfall with respect to sanctioned posts in rural Community Health Centres is maximum for surgeons (73 per cent) followed by physicians (69 per cent), paediatricians (68 per cent) and Obs & Gyn specialists (61 per cent), says the ministry in a report.

All the states and Union Territories combined, there are 3,371 sanctioned posts of surgeons at rural CHCs, but only 913 are occupied, leaving 73 per cent of posts vacant.

Madhya Pradesh has 332 sanctioned posts for surgeons but only seven are in position. Large-scale shortfalls are seen in Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has 45 such posts but only 16 positions are occupied.

“This is a problem persisting for the last 15-20 years. This requires a change in the health strategy for the CHCs as the numbers are better for district hospitals. It is difficult to maintain a team of surgeons at a CHC,” T Sundararaman, former executive director at the National Health System Resource Centre in Delhi told DH.

At the district hospitals, the shortfall in the number of specialists is less than 20 per cent. But the figures dip sharply at the rural CHCs that exist at the block level. They are 30-bed hospitals with an operation theatre and are supposed to have surgeons, paediatricians, general physicians and specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology to take care of a majority of health issues emanating from villages.

But out of 3,134 sanctioned posts of physicians, only 992 have been filled as on March 31, 2023. It is the same story for paediatricians (1,066 out of 3,184 sanctioned) and Obs and Gyn specialists (1,442 out of 3543 sanctioned posts).

All the states and Union Territories taken together, there are 13,232 sanctioned posts of specialists at rural CHCs, but only 4,413 have been recruited, says the report titled ‘Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure and Human Resources) 2022-23’, which was formerly known as Rural Health Statistics.

“The document gives a cross analysis across the states on the availability and deficiencies in manpower and infrastructure. The data is immensely helpful in understanding the requirements of the states, their priority areas and formulating policies and targeted campaigns,” said Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra.

Sundararaman said it would be apt for the government to think about a three years MD course in family medicine so that those doctors could be posted in the rural CHCs. Similar programmes exist in other countries.

The number of post graduate seats in medicine has increased by 133 per cent — from 31,185 before 2014 to 72,627 as of August 2024. The number of MBBS seats also rose by 118 per cent — from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,12,112 now — in the same period.