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.
Health Minister Hrishikesh Patel admitted that whenever paramedical and administrative staff are needed, outsourcing services step in. Even for Class-4 roles, contracts dominate. Shockingly, a 2014-15 tender for outsourcing was stretched until October 31, 2023, with just five agencies handling the entire state.
Across districts, committees led by Collectors and District Development Officers continue filling vacancies in medical college hospitals, district hospitals, and urban and rural health centers—relying on the same outsourcing mechanism.
The outsourcing grip on Gujarat’s healthcare deepens as the government rolls out fresh tenders. In 2023, 66 new tenders—two per district—were floated via GEM, setting fixed rates for 105 approved cadres before publishing service charge bids.
The lowest bidder (L-1), selected through the GEM system, was awarded the contract starting November 1, 2023. Instead of a short-term fix, the state extended the deal until October 31, 2025. Under the new tender, 25 agencies now supply manpower across Gujarat’s health institutions, reinforcing the government’s growing dependence on outsourcing.