Locked Out of Care: Over 200 New Health Centres in Maharashtra Stuck in Fiscal Arrest

More than 200 new primary health centres (PHCs) and sub-centres in Maharashtra are unused, for the primary reason being a severe lack of funds that has delayed vital supplies, manpower, and amenities like power and furniture. The centres, built between the years 2021-2025, are necessary for offering low-cost healthcare and carrying out immunisation drives in rural areas but some of them have been sealed for two years.

 

Out of 210 completed PHCs, just 64 are operational, while 34 are padlocked due to a lack of staff and resources. Similarly, out of 308 approved sub-centres, just 129 are operational, with 179 buildings sitting idle. Local health officials have been persistently asking the government for support in human resources and equipment, but uneven levels of completion complicate fund distribution. The state's extensive health infrastructure network further slows down operationalisation, despite new guidelines to speed up procurement and recruitment.

 

Source: Business Standard