AHMEDABAD: The State Health Index Report for 2019-20 was released by NITI Aayog on Monday.
The silver lining for Gujarat was climbing one rank from 7th in the last report to 6th. The report also mentioned that Gujarat improved health spending marginally, from 6.51% of its annual budget to 7.24%.
However, on several other indicators, the state did not have a great showing. The report, analyzing data from just before the Covid pandemic began, found that about 53% of the sanctioned posts for nurses at PHCs, UHCs and CHCs were vacant in Gujarat. Likewise, district hospitals had a 37% shortfall in specialist doctors.
On long-term indices, the state was adjudged the worst performer among the major states on a few parameters. According to the report, sex ratio at birth reduced by 4.5% from 2014 to 2018 (from 907 to 866), the sharpest fall among major states. Institutional deliveries fell by 5.7%, from 90.8% to 86.1% from 2014-15 to 2019-20.
“The pandemic showed the importance of the public health system and the need for trained human resources. While the data is a bit old, it is certain an indication as to where efforts need to be concentrated and how to strengthen health delivery outside urban areas,” said a city-based public health expert.
