New Delhi: Providing details regarding the availability of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at Community Health Centers (CHCs) in the rural areas, the Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Ashwini Kumar Choubey informed the Parliament that there is an overall 75% shortfall as per the Rural Health Statistics Report, 2019.
Through his written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister was responding to the questions posed by Rajya Sabha member Shri Rajmani Patel. The first question of Shri Patel was about the provision for the constitution of the medical board under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act and its proposal to have an obstetrician-gynaecologist as a member.
Answering the query Minister Choubey informed the House that The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Amendment Bill 2021 has provision for constitution of Medical Board with gynaecologist as a member.
Patel further wanted to know whether on an average, there is a shortage of 80 per cent of obstetricians and gynaecologists in Indian States and Union Territories and 100 per cent in Arunachal, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim.
Replying to this question, Choubey informed the house about the 75% overall shortfall of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at CHCs in States and Union Territories. He further provided the house with the States/ UTs wise details including Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim regarding the matter.
As per the statistics included in the reply, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim have almost a hundred per cent shortfall of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at the rural CHCs. As of 31st March 2019, against the required number of 63 specialists, only 3 are in the position in Arunachal Pradesh. The required number of Obs and Gynae are respectively 28, 9, and 2 in Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim. Although Meghalaya has 2 operational positions, there are no doctors at all in the other two States.
The shortfall is abnormally high among States like Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand, A & N Islands, D & N Haveli, Lakshadweep among others. In fact some of these States have no doctors at all to serve at rural CHCs.
Finally addressing the question involving the formation of a medical board without a doctor amidst the shortfall of ob-gyn specialists in the country, Minister Choubey informed the fact of Health being a state subject.
"Health is a state subject. Under National Health Mission, financial and technical support is provided to all the States/UTs in terms of human resource, drugs, diagnostics, etc. as per their requirements posed in the annual Program Implementation Plans (PIPs)," replied the Minister.
Statistics of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists at the Rural CHCs as provided by Choubey reads;
OBSTETRICIANS & GYNAECOLOGISTS at CHCs in Rural Areas
S. No.
State/UT
(As on 31st March, 2019)
Required1
Sanctioned
In Position
Vacant
Shortfall
[R]
[S]
[P]
[S-P]
[R-P]
1
Andhra Pradesh
140
126
102
24
38
2
Arunachal Pradesh
63
NA
3
NA
60
3
Assam
177
NA
82
NA
95
4
Bihar
150
NA
30
NA
120
5
Chhattisgarh
170
170
18
152
152
6
Goa
5
2
1
1
4
7
Gujarat
362
88
48
40
314
8
Haryana
115
18
6
12
109
9
Himachal Pradesh
87
NA
1
NA
86
10
Jammu & Kashmir
84
87
64
23
20
11
Jharkhand
171
171
29
142
142
12
Karnataka
198
198
158
40
40
13
Kerala
227
12
18
*
209
14
Madhya Pradesh
309
309
30
279
279
15
Maharashtra
364
244
211
33
153
16
Manipur
23
1
0
1
23
17
Meghalaya
28
NA
2
NA
26
18
Mizoram
9
NA
0
NA
9
19
Nagaland
21
NA
1
NA
20
20
Odisha
377
383
117
266
260
21
Punjab
89
123
25
98
64
22
Rajasthan
571
276
105
171
466
23
Sikkim
2
NA
0
NA
2
24
Tamil Nadu
385
NA
25
NA
360
25
Telangana
85
244
103
141
*
26
Tripura
18
NA
1
NA
17
27
Uttarakhand
67
68
4
64
63
28
Uttar Pradesh
679
524
115
409
564
29
West Bengal
348
287
51
236
297
30
A& N Islands
4
3
0
3
4
31
Chandigarh
0
0
0
0
0
32
D & N Haveli
2
0
0
0
2
33
Daman & Diu
0
0
0
0
0
34
Delhi
0
0
0
0
0
35
Lakshadweep
3
0
0
0
3
36
Puducherry
2
0
1
*
1
All India/ Total
5335
3334
1351
2135
4002
Notes:
All India figures for Vacancy and Shortfall are the totals of State-wise Vacancy and Shortfall ignoring surplus in some States /
UTs
*:
Surplus
1
One per Community Health Centre as per IPHS norms
NA: Not Available.
Also Read: Rajya Sabha passes Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill to Allow Abortions Up To 24 Weeks