Only 4,156 medicos in 5,510 CHCs across country

New Delhi: With the shortage of doctors in Community Healthcare Centres (CHC) on the rise, it seems the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide affordable healthcare facilities in remote areas may go in vain.

According to the latest report, which was submitted by Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey in the Parliament, there are only 4,156 doctors to look after the operation of 5,510 Community Healthcare Centres in the country. The total required strength of specialised doctors is 22,496.

Surprisingly, Tamil Nadu that claims to have a robust public healthcare system has a shortfall of 1,462 doctors out of total 1,540 required doctors to treat patients at CHCs.

In Bihar, the shortage of doctors is 86 percent at CHC as out of 600 required medical practitioners, the state, which is under the NDA rule, has only 82 doctors who are deployed at CHCs. The shortage of doctors in Bihar is 518.

The situation is also very grim in Uttar Pradesh – another BJP-ruled state. According to the report submitted by Health Ministry in the Parliament, UP is facing a shortage of 2,804 doctors out of required 3,288 specialised doctors to treat patients at the CHCs.

The shortage of doctors in Rajasthan is 1,819 out of the total required strength of 2,316 in the state, while CHCs in Jharkhand are running with a shortfall of 677 doctors.