Why healthcare needs to be centre stage in Bihar elections

India Today

3 days ago

Hospitals with doctors missing. Operation theatres with equipment missing. Maternity wards with essential drugs missing. This is just the tip of Bihar's healthcare iceberg. As Bihar awaits Assembly elections, let's have a look at why healthcare needs to take centre stage in the state.Missing: man, machine, materialA 2024 CAG report on public health infrastructure and management of health services in Bihar noted that half the posts are empty in the state's health department. The state has one doctor available per 2,148 people, against a recommendation of one doctor per thousand people.advertisement
Against specialists' requirement of 5,081, only 1,580 posts were filled in 2024 — 69 per cent of the posts remained vacant. Specifically, in terms of anaesthesia specialists, only 156 were in place, against the requirement of 1,129. While there was a requirement for 911 gynaecology doctors, only 375 were in place. This means 86 per cent of the posts were vacant.Aside from lacking human resources, the state also has a scarcity of basic amenities. Drinking water, fans, separate toilets for males and females, chairs, etc., are missing in health centres — as is important equipment in emergency wards and operation theatres!In the sub-district hospitals of Barh, 71 per cent of essential equipment is missing in emergency wards; it's 84 per cent in operation theatres. The situation was found to be similar in Mahua, Makhdumpur, Bhagwanpur, Bakhtiyarpur, and Kako.Even 80 per cent of the essential drugs were missing for maternity services in Barh and Bhagwanpur. The seriousness of maternity conditions can be assessed by the fact that out of 24 cases of maternal deaths reported in 16 test-checked healthcare facilities from FY2016–22, a maternal death review was conducted in only one case.Besides, the physical verification of 25 ambulances showed that none of the ambulances had the required equipment. Also, six test-checked blood banks operated without a valid licence for up to 21 years.Where does Bihar's healthcare stand against SDG goals?According to India's Sustainable Development Goals for the United Nations, designed to be achieved by 2030, maternal mortality per lakh live births should be 70. While that number was 97 for the country in 2024, it was 118 for Bihar. Similarly, against a neonatal mortality rate goal of 12 or less, the Indian average was 24.9, and Bihar's was 34.5.Funds for improvement returnedThe odd thing is that, despite everything, Bihar has not stepped up to improve the healthcare conditions. 'The Government of Bihar had not prepared any comprehensive health policy/ plan, aligned with the National Health Policy, 2017, to address the gaps in infrastructure/equipment in every healthcare facility,' the CAG report said. As a result, the Bihar health department kept returning the money allotted for improvements.advertisementBetween the financial years 2016 and 2022, a total of Rs 69,791 crore was provisioned for the Bihar health department, of which Rs 21,743 crore or 31 per cent was left unspent.The report noted that the department kept releasing funds, which remained unutilised and were surrendered on the last day of that financial year.- EndsTune InMust Watch