Nearly 80% shortfall in specialist docs in rural community health centres

Situation in 2021 has worsened over the previous year, shows government data

There has been a worsening of the shortage of specialists at community health centres in rural areas.

The total shortage widened to 79.9 per cent in 2021, from 76.1 per cent a year earlier, according to data from the Rural Health Statistics 2020-21 report. There is a shortage in every specialization including surgeons, physicians, paediatricians as well as obstetricians and gynaecologists. The shortages range from 74-84 per cent.

A community health centre is the third tier of the rural health infrastructure system. The first is a sub centre which caters to a population of between 3,000 and 5,000. The second is the