Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh is facing a severe healthcare staffing crisis, with an alarming 80 percent shortfall of medical specialists at Community Health Centres (CHCs) and a 35.5 percent shortfall of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and sub-centres.

The latest Rural Health Statistics (RHS) report reveals that the state’s rural health system is under significant strain due to persistent vacancies.

According to data, CHCs are facing an 83.2 percent shortfall of surgeons, 74.2 percent shortfall of obstetricians and gynaecologists, 79.1 percent shortfall of physicians, and 81.6 percent shortfall of paediatricians.

These figures result in an overall shortfall of 79.5 percent in specialist positions at CHCs. The situation is particularly grim in rural areas, where lack of specialists continues to disrupt access to essential medical care.

At the PHC level, the report highlights a 35.5 percent shortfall of ANMs. However, the situation with allopathy doctors at PHCs is comparatively better, with only a 3 percent shortfall reported.

The Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) mandate that each CHC must have four specialists—a surgeon, a physician, a gynaecologist, and a paediatrician. PHCs are to be staffed by MBBS-qualified doctors.

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 313 CHCs, generally one per block, intended to provide specialised services at the community level. Despite this infrastructure, the critical shortage of trained personnel is severely hampering service delivery in these centres.

Amulya Nidhi, national convener of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India, said the issue has been raised multiple times with the Union government. “We have submitted a detailed note to Rajya Sabha’s committee, highlighting the persistent gaps in access to healthcare.

We’ve emphasised that a strong public health system is the only way to ensure affordable and accessible healthcare, especially in rural pockets. The privatised and insurance-based models simply cannot meet needs of these communities,” he said.

Govt begins hiring drive Health Commissioner Tarun Rathi told Free Press that the state government is actively addressing the issue through ongoing recruitment efforts. “We have continued recruitment process in Madhya Pradesh to fill the gap.

The health department is managing the situation in rural areas by strengthening health infrastructure at both CHC and PHC levels,” he said.