A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for the year 2021-22 has revealed a critical shortage of medical staff in public health facilities in Jharkhand.

The report was tabled by the finance minister Radha Krishna Kishore during the ongoing budget session of the state Assembly in Ranchi on Thursday evening.

The report points out that the shortage of health officials in the state ranges between 21 to 80 per cent while that of staff nurses and paramedics is between 14 to 76 per cent and 50 to 100 per cent respectively.

The vacancies of teaching and non-teaching staff in six medical colleges are 48 and 45 per cent respectively.

The report urged the Jharkhand state government to tackle these shortages urgently and adopt recommendations from medical council working groups to improve staffing and healthcare outcomes as it was hindering healthcare facilities in the state.

The report points out that the Jharkhand government had not taken adequate measures to tackle the Covid-19 menace and ₹756.42 crore (out of which ₹291.87 is Central assistance) meant for Covid-19 management was left unused. The report further states that the buffer storage management of Covid-19 medicines was poor.

The report also noticed gaps in the delivery of OPD and in-patient services, diagnostic, maternity, mobile medical and other related services.

The report further exposed a shortage of essential drugs with the community health centres, district hospitals, medical colleges and hospitals during 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Another CAG report on safety of building construction workers for 2021-22 found a gap in health and safety issues of construction workers.

The report reveals that in four sample testing districts the CAG team did physical verification of 24 construction sites and found that only 15 percent of construction workers are registered with the government board and the remaining did not avail any of the facilities of the welfare schemes meant for them by the government.

It also pointed out that construction workers were not getting proper safety equipment and there was a shortage of toilets and temporary houses as mandated under the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Act.

Meanwhile, the finance minister, during the budget session, tabled a supplementary demand of ₹5,508 crore which will be discussed
on Friday.

The budget for 2025-26 will be tabled on March 3. This would be the first annual budget after the Hemant Soren-led government stormed into power during the Assembly polls held in November
last year.

Earlier, the House witnessed a heated debate over the Maiyan Samman Yojana between BJP MLA CP Singh and welfare minister Chamra Linda during Question Hour.

Singh questioned the delay in the transfer of benefits under Maiyan Samman Yojana and asked if they would be paid by Eid.

Replying to this, Chamra Linda said that the money for January and February will be paid to the beneficiaries by March 15, possibly before Holi.