Medical staff Garba dance in ICU | Government sends Show Cause Notices to 40 emloyees

Although the Gujarat government claims to be giving incentives to doctors working in remote areas, the state is facing a shortage of specialists like gynecologists and paediatricians, to the extent that even BIMARU states -Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh -are better off with regard to healthcare facilities and infrastructure.This specialist shortfall particularly affects the health of mothers and children, which is apparent with the so called developed state, reporting a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 127 and an infant mortality rate (IMR) of 36 according to the figures last released in 2013. MMR is the number of mothers dying per 1,00,000 live births. IMR is the number of infants dying in their first year for every 1,000 live births.Gujarat has the fifth highest shortfall of specialists including surgeons, gynecologists, physicians and paediatricians among 36 states and Union Territories in terms of numbers. It 1,206 specialists short at community health centres (CHCs).According to the figures from the Union health department, states like Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are ahead Gujarat in terms of total number of specialists at CHCs. Shockingly, the shortfall of specialists persists because the state government has not sanctioned recruitment to fill these vacancies.There is an acute dearth of surgeons at CHCs in Gujarat, which has just 32 surgeons in place against the required strength of 320.Gujarat ranks 5th in the shortfall of surgeons, while states like Bihar and Madhya Pradesh doing slightly better with deficits of 49 and 283 surgeons respectively.The position is similarly pathetic at primary health centres (PHCs) and sub centres. Gujarat has the second highest shortfall in terms of numbers of health workers at sub centres and PHCs. Against the required strength of 9,310 health workers, there are just 6,938 workers at various sub centres and PHCs, a shortfall of 2,372. Shockingly, 247 sub centres in rural areas are without s single health worker.Gujarat ranks third in shortfall of doctors at PHCs, with states like Bihar and Rajasthan enjoying a surplus. Only two states, UP and Chhattisgarh, have bigger deficits of doctors, 1,288 and 424 respectively.Nitin Patel, the health minister, said that lack of interest in practicing in rural areas from doctors and medical staff has led to this situation. "Other states do not have people with good purchasing power, while people of Gujarat can afford to spend money on healthcare facilities.Thus, private clinics or hospitals are booming with people preferring treatment there," Patel said."It is not the case that Gujarat has a lack of doctors and medical staff, but the number of private practitioners is more than at government hospitals, especially in rural areas. We not ignoring these facts and are trying to provide better healthcare facilities by providing services like telemedicine and increasing ambulance services in villages, "Patel added.Patel said his government provides around Rs 25,00 per month over their salary, to doctors who practice in tribal areas. "With new medical colleges in the state, every year 3,000 doctors will be added to the current strength, which will ease the shortfall of doctors and other staff in around three years, "he said.