The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to depute gynaecologists and paediatricians to primary health centres within a week. The court instructed that these specialists should visit the centres daily to monitor the health of pregnant women and newborn infants.
A division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Sandesh Patil reiterated this direction while hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2007 by Dr. Rajendra Burma, along with a subsequent civil contempt petition alleging non-compliance with earlier court orders.
Court Flags Need to Increase Nutrition Allowance
During the hearing, the High Court also orally suggested that the minimum per-person nutrition expenditure, currently fixed at ₹829, should be increased. The bench emphasized that adequate nutrition remains critical for maternal and child health, particularly in vulnerable regions.
State Submits Melghat Assessment Report
Earlier, the court had directed a team of senior state officials to visit the tribal Melghat region in Amravati district to assess ground realities. On Thursday, Nipun Vinayak, Principal Secretary, Public Health Department, informed the court that he, along with senior officials from the Tribal Development (TD) and Women and Child Development (WCD) departments, had conducted the visit and submitted a comprehensive report.
As reported by TOI, the report detailed both measures already implemented and additional mitigating steps proposed to improve healthcare delivery in the region.
Infant Mortality Rate Shows Significant Decline
According to the report dated December 18, the situation in Melghat has improved in several areas. Notably, the infant mortality rate declined sharply from 48.9 in 2005–06 to 15.36 in 2024–25. Officials attributed this improvement to sustained interventions following multiple High Court directives over the years.
However, the state also highlighted persistent challenges related to power supply, water availability, road connectivity, and forest terrain, many of which have now been addressed to some extent.
Court Stresses Continued Gaps in Healthcare Access
While acknowledging the progress, the High Court accepted submissions made by the petitioner’s counsel, J. T. Gilda, and noted that travel time from Melghat to referral centres remains high. Therefore, the bench reiterated the urgent need to equip local health centres with gynaecologists and paediatricians to reduce delays in care.
The court also heard Bandya Sane in person in connection with one of the petitions.
Proposed Measures to Strengthen Health Infrastructure
The committee report proposed several forward-looking measures. These include filling vacancies in critical public health posts by January 31, 2026, and expediting recruitment for zilla parishads. Additionally, the state plans to introduce a “tribal-first posting and retention policy”, which would mandate compulsory tribal postings for in-service postgraduate doctors who lack prior tribal experience.
To attract and retain medical professionals, the committee also recommended increasing the monthly salary of MBBS doctors from ₹80,000 to ₹1.5 lakh.
Next Steps and Upcoming Hearing
After reviewing the report, the High Court observed that it appeared detailed and directed the state to circulate it to all parties. The bench requested counsels to study the findings and assist the court at the next hearing in determining further steps to address concerns of possible state inaction.
As reported by TOI, the court also questioned the absence of a Central government representative during the hearing and suggested that a senior central bureaucrat join the proceedings via video conference at the next date of hearing, scheduled for January 19, 2026.
Bhupesh Samant, Additional Government Pleader, assured the court that the report would be duly circulated to all concerned parties.