In rural Haryana, community health centres 96% short of specialists

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, May 11

The community health centres (CHCs) in rural Haryana are 96 per cent short of the required strength of specialists. The Rural Health Statistics 2020-21 report says that against the requirement of 496, there are just 22 specialists.

The specialists include surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists, paediatricians and physicians. According to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) guidelines, four specialists are needed per CHC. In the 124 CHCs in rural Haryana, there are just three surgeons, nine obstetricians and gynaecologists, six physicians, and four paediatricians.

There are only three CHCs which meet the IPHS requirement of four specialists. Besides the 22 specialists, there are just eight anaesthetists and two eye surgeons in the rural CHCs. The data is till March 31, 2021.

Of the 124 CHCs, only 66 CHCs have functional stabilisation units for newborns, 88 have Operation Theatres and 66 have at least 30 beds.

“Most of the specialists are posted in district hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals. A state needs to have infrastructure too for the specialists in the CHCs. You also need radiographers, Operation Theatre assistants and lab technicians. What can a specialist do without them,” said Prof Aswini Kumar Nanda, Population Research Centre, Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh. “As of now, the CHCs do not have a sanctioned strength of specialists,” said Dr Jasbir Parmar, president of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association.

Severe crunch

• 124 CHCs in villages
• 496 specialists needed
• 22 currently working