Bhopal: In the state as many as 34,347 MBBS doctors are registered with Medical Council of India but government hospitals and medical facilities, particularly in rural belt, continues to face shortage of medical practitioners. There are 1171 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state of which 393 are running without doctors. A number of the programmes being run by National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) fails to achieve the desired target due to staff crunch.
Shortage of doctors, concerns of agitating contractual health employees who are the backbone of the National Health Mission and other issues are likely to be taken up by the state delegation with the representatives of the Central government.
Seeking central allocation, entire team of state National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is in Delhi to present before the central authority their achievements and also blue print of the upcoming year. The meeting with representatives of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) of Central government for Program Implementation Plan (PIP) is of crucial importance for the state health mission as it will decide the future course of action of the programme in the state.
According to sources in NHM, delegation comprising health commissioner Pallavi Jain, PS health Gauri Singh, director of NHM Dr Durgesh Gaud and others are there in Delhi to meet the central government representatives. On the basis of their past performance and the future plans, the Centre allocates the fund under various heads of NHM for 2018.
While allocation of funds will remain in focus, other issues likely to be discussed in the meeting include optimum utilization of available human resources. The state delegation in all probability will raise the issue of appointment of doctors on vacant posts. Concerns of contractual health employees who are on agitation for their various demands will be taken up in all likelihood. Best of projects and plans prepared by NHM are not being implemented properly due to lack of medical staff at ground level.
