Melghat health system collapse: Bawankule demands accountability

Nagpur: Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday sharply criticised the condition of healthcare services in Melghat, questioning officials over what he described as a prolonged administrative failure that left tribal and rural populations struggling for basic medical facilities."Who is responsible for this deterioration in Melghat's healthcare system?" Bawankule asked during a high-level review meeting at Mantralaya. He directed the administration to fast-track pending health infrastructure projects in Nagpur and Amravati districts.The meeting was attended by public health minister Prakash Abitkar, medical education minister Hasan Mushrif, and senior health department officials. Bawankule expressed strong displeasure over delays in several healthcare proposals and warned that negligence affecting rural citizens would not be tolerated.Calling for "war-footing action", he instructed officials to urgently strengthen medical facilities in Amravati district, including establishing radiotherapy and day-care chemotherapy services at the divisional referral hospital under the public-private partnership model. He also directed authorities to upgrade Daryapur sub-district hospital from 50 to 100 beds and submit immediate proposals for a trauma care unit, CT scan facility, blood bank, and MRI services.In Nagpur district, discussions focused on pending approvals for upgrading Narkhed rural hospital from 30 to 50 beds, clearing proposals for Kamptee sub-district hospital through MSIDC Nagpur, establishing a trauma care unit in Umred and creating posts for the newly built district hospital in Nagpur.Bawankule also reviewed proposals concerning contractual employees under the Prime Minister Matru Vandana Yojana and the National Health Mission, along with a revised Rs30 crore proposal for a 30-bed hospital building in Kuhi."The laxity in the healthcare system that puts rural lives at risk will not be tolerated," Bawankule warned, directing officials to immediately submit and implement all proposals related to health infrastructure in Melghat and Vidarbha.