Healthcare shortages deepen across Maharashtra

The protest reflects broader discontent documented in a Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors Federation of All India Medical Associations 2025 survey of 5,800 healthcare professionals across 18 government medical colleges. The findings reveal that 33 per cent of colleges fail to pay stipends on time, 11 per cent of resident doctors feel unsafe at work, and many institutions struggle with overcrowded wards, poor sanitation and lack of grievance redressal mechanisms.

“We don’t need new colleges, we need safe hostels and hospitals where we work. We have to be on duty for 24 hours, we often don’t get time to freshen up, change our clothes, and sleep in the hospital itself,” said a resident doctor from Nashik.

In tribal Palghar district, the crisis is visible in official records. As many as 811 sanctioned posts remain vacant, major hospital projects are delayed, and maternal mortality remains high due to referral delays and inadequate emergency preparedness. A study presented at the Maharashtra Mahila Aarogya Hakk Parishad in 2025 by grassroots activists Geeta Pagi, Sunanda Belkar, Meena Dhodade and Shobha Gavit found that 10 of 12 maternal deaths occurred because local hospitals lacked capacity, forcing risky transfers to Silvassa or Valsad. Most of the women were aged 20 to 24, with anemia and early pregnancies compounding risks.

Between 2011 and 2023, Palghar recorded 462 maternal deaths across government and private facilities. While India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio has declined to 88 per lakh live births according to the Sample Registration System 2023, tribal blocks in Palghar remain far above the national average.

A district official acknowledged delays. “There has been a delay due to funds. The District Hospital was allocated ₹209 crore and the Trauma Centre ₹120 crore. About 75 per cent of the district hospital work has been completed since 2022, while the trauma centre, sanctioned in 2019, is structurally ready but not operational. Shortages of medicines, doctors, and gynecologists remain serious gaps.”

In Parliament, questions from Maharashtra MPs have drawn attention to shortages of nursing staff and specialists. In a Lok Sabha reply on February 13, 2026, the Union Health Ministry said Maharashtra has 2.63 lakh registered nursing personnel, but distribution remains uneven. Rural and tribal districts such as Palghar, Gadchiroli, Hingoli and Nandurbar have few training institutions compared to urban centres like Pune and Mumbai.

To address these disparities, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved six new nursing colleges in February 2024 in Jalgaon, Latur, Baramati, Sangli Miraj, Nandurbar and Gondia, each with 100 seats. The projected expenditure is ₹173.8 crore over four years. Separately, ₹21.3 crore has been released in the last five years under a central scheme to upgrade nursing schools into full colleges. However, several upgrades remain incomplete and some facilities are yet to become operational.

On February 10, 2026, the Union Health Ministry acknowledged in the Rajya Sabha that vacancies among doctors and specialists persist despite recruitment drives and incentives, and that patient outcomes are directly affected. Nationally, the doctor population ratio stands at 1:811.

District level data in Maharashtra shows sanctioned posts for gynecologists and anesthetists in Palghar and Gadchiroli remain largely unfilled. Although hardship allowances and honoraria have been introduced to attract specialists to rural areas, retention continues to be a challenge.

Students and resident doctors say infrastructure failures extend beyond manpower. In Nagpur and Mumbai, they describe hostels as overcrowded and unsafe. “Hostel rooms that are meant for two are crammed with five residents. Sanitation is poor, canteen food is inedible, and potable water is scarce. Washrooms are dirty, cleaning is irregular, and basic amenities like water coolers remain non functional. In rural areas, conditions are worse. Students also report serious safety lapses. Intruders have entered nursing hostels at night, with one recent incident forcing women residents to chase away two men who entered a student’s room. Despite repeated letters, accountability is absent, leaving women doctors and students feeling unsafe in overcrowded, neglected hostels,” said a woman medical student in Mumbai.

Central MARD Survey 2025 Key Findings

Stipend delays
33 per cent of government medical colleges fail to pay stipends on time; dues pending for the 2022 batch.

Security concerns
25 per cent shortage of security staff; 11 per cent of resident doctors report feeling unsafe at work.

Hostel infrastructure
Rooms meant for two residents often house four to five; poor sanitation and unsafe living conditions.

Faculty complaints
Issues flagged at IGGMC Nagpur and JJ Hospital Mumbai; FMT faculty transferred, OBGY matter under investigation.

Grievance redressal
No formal mechanisms; residents report fear of victimisation; committee being constituted for OBGY complaints.

Overall environment
Overcrowded wards, broken facilities, poor sanitation and lack of support staff.

Nursing Capacity and Approvals

Registered nursing personnel in Maharashtra 2.63 lakh, with uneven rural urban distribution.

Recent approvals
Six new nursing colleges sanctioned in February 2024 in Jalgaon, Latur, Baramati, Sangli Miraj, Nandurbar and Gondia, 100 seats each.

Upgradation funds
₹21.3 crore released between 2019 and 2025 to upgrade nursing schools in Solapur, Latur, Kolhapur, Mumbai GT Hospital, Sangli, Akola, Ambajogai and Dhule.