Mumbai: The Maharashtra Public Health Department will introduce an objective annual performance appraisal system for District Surgeons and District Health Officers, with officers to be graded on the basis of their performance over the previous three years. The initiative, approved by Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, aims to promote a performance-oriented administrative culture and ensure that merit and quality receive greater weightage in the allocation of responsibilities and future postings.
Under the new system, the performance of eligible officers for 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 will be assessed on a 100-point scale. Officers will subsequently be placed in four categories—A, B, C and D. The assessment will be conducted annually and will also be used for planning responsibilities and work targets for the following three years.
The appraisal will go beyond routine paperwork and focus on the actual impact of an officer's work on the district healthcare system. Areas such as patient-oriented services, grievance redressal, leadership, special skills, training and communication abilities will be assessed.
Financial management will also form an important component of the evaluation. Officers will be assessed on the effective utilisation of funds under district annual plans, state budget heads, the National Health Mission (NHM) and CSR initiatives. Measures taken to improve the quality of healthcare facilities, including food services, medicine supply, sanitation and efficient utilisation of contractual manpower, will also be considered.
The system will further assess manpower management in subordinate hospitals, primary health centres and sub-centres, as well as the performance of officers during natural disasters, disease outbreaks and accidents. Implementation of NHM programmes and special government campaigns will also carry weightage.
Contributions to initiatives such as ‘My Village, Healthy Village’, Arunoday – Sickle Cell-Free Maharashtra, the Palliative Care Campaign and Cancer-Free Maharashtra will be considered in the appraisal. Digital performance will also be evaluated, including the issuance of Ayushman Bharat cards, timely updating of health department portals, work on the Mahakarmi portal and implementation of the integrated Ayushman Bharat and Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.
Officers completing at least three years of service as of March 31, 2026 will be eligible for the assessment. The government has also prescribed integrity-related criteria. Officers recommended for the process must not have pending or proposed disciplinary proceedings, involvement in misappropriation cases or serious complaints against them. An unblemished service record and integrity will be important considerations.
The government said the initiative is intended to send a clear message that officers who deliver results will receive opportunities based on merit. Since district-level health administrators have a direct impact on healthcare delivery to citizens, the new system is expected to encourage healthy competition, improve administrative efficiency and strengthen patient services.
The department said the reform is being pursued with a focus on quality, transparency and accountability under the leadership of Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, with administrative support from Principal Secretary Dr Nipun Vinayak and Health Services Commissioner Sanjay Katkar.
The three-year performance record, 100-point evaluation and clear grading mechanism are expected to make the assessment of officers more systematic and transparent, while linking future responsibilities and opportunities more closely to demonstrated performance.
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