Adequate specialist doctors can improve healthcare in tribal areas: Bombay HC

Bombay HC has directed MPSC and DMER to be respondents in PIL raising concerns over malnutrition among children in the Melghat region.

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and the Director of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to be respondents in PIL raising concerns over malnutrition among children in the Melghat region and also seeking details of measures taken from them to fill up the positions of civil doctors in the state to ensure that sufficient doctors are available in the tribal region.

The court observed that “lack of specialist doctors and medical attendants to assist them is a major cause affecting the tribal women and children, leading to their deaths due to malnutrition and lack of facilities," as reported by Indian Express.

The court referred to the vacancy of nearly 62% posts of civil doctors in Maharashtra and noted, "Presence of adequate number of paediatricians, nutritionists and gynaecologists may go a long way in securing timely medical assistance in the tribal areas.”

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik noted that as per Health Services Commissionerate data on vacancy positions as submitted by the petitioners, of 1,786 posts approved in the ‘Group A’ category of Maharashtra Medical and Health Services, 674 are filled up, whereas 1,112 posts are vacant, leading to nearly 62% vacancy in the said category.

Moreover, the vacancy percentage for Group B posts is 74%. The court noted that among a large number of posts approved in the ‘C’ and ‘D’ categories, the percentage of vacancies is “unusually high.”

The State Public Health department submitted an affidavit in court enumerating steps taken to tackle malnutrition in the Melghat area. The affidavit stated that it has taken active steps to implement a report submitted by senior IPS officer Dr Chhering Dorje and suggestions by Dr Ashis Satav, advocate Purnima Upadhyay, along with social activist Dr Abhay Bang on a priority basis and additional action has been taken and the plan has been prepared for Melghat area. 

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