AHMEDABAD: Gujarat’s healthcare system is crumbling, with rising vacancies and an increasing reliance on outsourced staff. Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, in a startling Assembly revelation, admitted that 23% of posts in primary health centres and 15% in community health centres remain unfilled. The crisis runs deeper—75% of paramedical positions in community health centres and a staggering 88% in primary health centres are now staffed through contracts and outsourcing.Gujarat’s healthcare vacancies remain a glaring issue, forcing the government to lean on outsourcing as a stopgap. Responding in the Assembly, Health Minister Rushikesh Patel claimed the state regularly recruits for Class-1 to Class-3 positions, yet gaps persist.The numbers tell the story—84.96% of Class-2 posts in 355 Community Health Centers are filled, but vacancies loom. In Primary Health Centers, only 76.75% of Class-2 Medical Officer positions are occupied. The crisis extends to CHCs, where 74.03% of paramedical, administrative, and support staff roles are filled, many through outsourcing.Gujarat’s healthcare staffing crisis deepens as outsourcing remains the state’s primary fallback. In Primary Health Centers (PHCs), only 66.56% of the 11,678 sanctioned posts for paramedical, administrative (Class-3), driver, and Class-4 staff are filled—most through outsourcing.
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