Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Government failed to appoint doctors and specialists in the state-run health facilities as per the sanctioned strength.

There was a shortage of doctors ranging between 6% and 92% in District Hospitals (DHs), 19% and 86 % in Civil Hospitals (CHs). While in Civil Health Centers (CHS), Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Sub Health Centers (SHCs) there is shortage ranging between 27%and 81 %.

These are the findings of a report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India on public health infrastructure and management of health services for the year ended March 31, 2022. The report, analyzing human resource, states that there was shortage of staff in all cadres of health care ranging between 27% and 43% in Medical Colleges and it ranged between 28% and 59% in Ayush Department.

Under nursing cadres there was shortage of nurses ranging between 4% and 69% in district hospitals, between 4% and 73% % Civil Hospitals and between 2% and 51 % in CHS, PHCs and SHCs. In 26 districts, Trauma Care Centers were not functional due to not deputing the staff as per the sanctioned strength.

CAG found that the waiting period for USG in Jaya Arogya Hospital of GRMC Medical College, Gwalior was 16 to 24 days. -Due to non functioning of outdated Cobalt 60 machines, 27,894 cancer patients could not get treatment of cobalt therapy in Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal.

Rs 6742.78 cr remain unutilized

Analyzing the financial management, CAG said that the state government had allocated a budget of Rs 52,068.83 cr for the health sector, out of which, expenditure of Rs 45, 326.05 crores (87%) was incurred during the period 2017-22. Thus Rs 6742.78 crores (13%) remained unutilized; the reasons for which could not be ascertained as the copies of sanction letters of budget were not furnished to audit.

Unspent funds

Under the National Health Mission, out of total available funds of Rs 12,419.46 crore, there was unspent balance of Rs 3,116.63 crore during 2017-22. During the above period, unspent funds ranged between 4% (2018-19) and 42 % (2021-22).

100% vaccination target missed

While analyzing Sustainable Development Goal 3, CAG found that as per SDG-3, India set the target to reduce the mortality of children under the age of five years to at least 25 per 1000 live births by 2030. However, it was prevailing at 49.20 per thousand live births in 2020-21 in the state.

Moreover, the state government was not able to provide 100% vaccination to newborns except BCG, status of vaccination of Measles and DPT was only 13% and 0.12% respectively during 2017-22. Thus the target of 100% vaccination could not be achieved for children below 5 years of age as 100% zero day immunization of newborn itself was not achieved.