Hyderabad: A recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has uncovered significant irregularities and deficiencies in Telangana’s public health infrastructure and management of health services.
The performance audit, which covered the period from 2016-17 to 2021-22, examined seven departments and programs, including human resources, healthcare services, and financial management.
One of the key findings is a severe shortage of healthcare staff, with a 45% vacancy rate across the department. The position of Director of Medical Education (DME) had the highest vacancy rate at 56 percent, and several posts for associate and assistant professors in nine medical colleges remained unfilled, adversely affecting the quality of medical education.
The report also highlights the state’s failure to extend Fixed Day Health Services (FDHS) to rural areas and the lack of medical officers in 122 out of 3,206 sub-centres converted into Health Wellness Centres. Additionally, many healthcare institutions lacked the necessary licenses for imaging equipment, and several district hospitals did not comply with fire safety regulations.
Regarding drug and equipment availability, the state failed to review and update the Essential Medicines List (EML) and Additional Medicines List (AML) every two years, as required. Expired drugs worth Rs 390.26 crore were not replaced in a timely manner, leading to substantial financial losses.
The CAG report also found shortages of Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres, and Sub-centres, with deficits of 69%, 25%, and 29%, respectively. The state also faces a bed shortage, with only 27,996 beds available against a requirement of 35,004.
The report highlights that Telangana’s expenditure on health remained below the targets set by the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, fluctuating between 2.53% and 3.47% of the total state budget. Irregularities in fund disbursement under the National Health Mission and the failure to reimburse Central funds allocated for Covid-19 management were also noted.
The CAG’s findings underscore the urgent need for reforms in Telangana’s healthcare system to address these critical gaps and improve service delivery for its residents.
