Public health indicators in Maharashtra are raising concerns as infectious diseases continue to rise while the availability of hospital beds per lakh population declines. Data from the state’s Economic Survey, released on Thursday, highlights this growing imbalance between healthcare demand and infrastructure.
According to the survey, the state had 108 hospital beds per lakh population in 2014, but this number fell significantly to 65 beds per lakh population in 2025. This decline comes at a time when the burden of infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, tuberculosis, and HIV is steadily increasing.
Malaria Cases Show Steady Increase
As reported by TOI, the survey also revealed a noticeable rise in malaria cases over the past three years. In 2023, public hospitals recorded 16,760 malaria cases and 23 deaths. The following year, the numbers rose to 20,640 cases and 26 deaths.
Furthermore, between June and December 2025, malaria cases increased slightly to 20,735, resulting in 27 deaths. These figures indicate that malaria remains a persistent public health challenge in the state.
Dengue, Tuberculosis, and HIV Also on the Rise
In addition to malaria, several other infectious diseases have shown an upward trend.
Between January 2023 and December 2025, more than 50,000 dengue cases were reported across the state, resulting in 106 deaths. Meanwhile, tuberculosis surveillance data revealed a sharp increase in suspected TB cases. The number of suspected TB patients rose from 2,027 per lakh population in 2023 to 3,475 per lakh population in 2025.
Similarly, the HIV positivity rate in the state showed a marginal increase. It rose from 0.24 percent (10,690 cases) in 2023 to 0.25 percent (10,830 cases) in 2025, reflecting a gradual but concerning trend.
Declining Bed-to-Population Ratio
Despite the rising disease burden, the state’s healthcare infrastructure appears to be under pressure. The hospital bed-to-population ratio, which was 102 beds per lakh population in 2020, dropped sharply to 59 beds in 2021. Although the ratio improved to 73 beds in 2024, it again declined to 65 beds in 2025.
However, health officials attribute this apparent decline partly to a change in the way hospital beds are calculated.
Change in Calculation Method
A senior health official explained that until 2020, the state included beds from government hospitals, municipal hospitals, and charity trust-run hospitals when calculating the total number of beds. Only private or corporate hospital beds were excluded from the count.
However, from 2020 onwards, the public health department stopped including beds from charity trust-run hospitals in its calculations. As a result, the official said, the revised methodology led to a noticeable drop in the bed-to-population ratio.
Experts Question the Data
Nevertheless, some experts have questioned the figures. Health economist and member of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Dr Ravi Duggal, suggested that the reported figure of 65 beds per lakh population may reflect either an underestimation or a data calculation error.
He remarked that while India promotes initiatives like Digital India, inaccuracies in basic healthcare data remain a concern.
Government Highlights Existing Infrastructure
Meanwhile, state government officials maintain that public healthcare infrastructure remains substantial. According to officials, the public health department currently operates 609 hospitals across Maharashtra.
This includes 20 district hospitals, 71 sub-district hospitals with 100 beds each, and 374 sub-district hospitals with 50 beds each. Altogether, these facilities provide 29,364 hospital beds under the public health department.
In addition, the state’s department of medical education manages 35 medical colleges, each with more than 500 beds.
Officials therefore emphasised that the state continues to maintain a significant number of hospital beds within the public healthcare system. However, the rising burden of infectious diseases underscores the need for continued monitoring, improved data accuracy, and sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure.