Chandigarh MP Highlights Critical Health Infrastructure Deficiencies
Manish Tewari, the Member of Parliament for Chandigarh, has raised serious concerns about the health infrastructure in the Union Territory, citing significant gaps and inadequacies. His comments came in response to a parliamentary reply from Pratap Rao Jadhav, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, regarding data on health infrastructure in Chandigarh.
Parliamentary Inquiry and Minister's Response
Tewari had submitted detailed questions to Parliament, seeking information on:
- The total number of sanctioned regular posts of doctors in Chandigarh's Health Department.
- The date when new doctor posts were last created in Chandigarh, along with the number and categories of such posts.
- The total number of vacancies against sanctioned posts, including specialty-wise details such as medicine, surgery, anaesthesia, radiology, and paediatrics.
- The number of doctors currently working on deputation in Chandigarh.
In his reply, Minister Jadhav stated that the data regarding details of sanctioned posts of doctors and specialists under state governments and Union Territories are not maintained centrally by the Government of India.
Tewari's Criticism and Broader Implications
Expressing disappointment, Tewari accused the Government of India of suffering from selective amnesia. He emphasized that since Chandigarh is a Union Territory without a legislature, the central government is directly accountable to Parliament for its governance. The lack of detailed data in the reply, according to Tewari, indicates profound gaps in Chandigarh's health infrastructure.
He further revealed that approximately 167 doctors are on deputation from Punjab and Haryana, with minimal local recruitment occurring over decades. Many critical specialties remain vacant, exacerbating the healthcare crisis. Tewari announced plans to escalate this issue with Health Minister JP Nadda, noting that Chandigarh's health infrastructure serves not only the UT but also Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
Minister's Recommendations and Future Steps
In his parliamentary response, Minister Jadhav advised that states and Union Territories should ensure the availability of human resources by:
- Creating an adequate number of regular posts for doctors and specialists as per the Indian Public Health Standards in the long term.
- Utilizing National Health Mission (NHM) posts in the short to medium term to fill critical gaps.
This situation underscores ongoing challenges in healthcare governance and resource allocation in Union Territories, calling for urgent attention to improve medical services and infrastructure.
