The ambitious Bal Sakha Yojana, aimed at bringing down the Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate in the state, has failed to attract a single paediatrician in three districts of the state. The state Health Department seems to be having a tough time finding paediatricians for the scheme launched on January 27 this year as an integral part of the Chiranjeevi Yojana.

While a total of 216 paediatricians have been engaged in the scheme in rest of the state, Dangs, Panchmahals and Kutch, the largest district in Gujarat, are yet to enrol a single paediatrician. The zero enrolment in these three districts is apparently due to the absence of paediatricians there.

Dr N B Dholakia, joint director, MCH (Maternal and Child Health), said, “We have engaged over 210 paediatricians in the last six months. We have been getting good response except from Kutch, Dangs and Panchmahals.” He added, “In Panchmahals we are looking forward to confirmation from four doctors this week. While in Dangs, there are no paediatricians and in Kutch there are a few. Moreover, doctors take their own time to decide.” On the brighter side, Anand leads the enrolment with 34 paediatricians followed by Surat with 20 specialists, Amreli (18), Mehsana (17), Gandhinagar (16) and Junagadh (13), Patan, Bhavnagar and Navsari (all five), Kheda, Bharuch and Rajkot (all four), Dahod (three), Valsad (two) and Narmada (one). Surprisingly, Ahmedabad features in the league of Jamnagar and Banaskantha with seven paediatricians each.

With an interstate paediatricians conference coming up next week in Bhavnagar, the Health Department plans to use the opportunity to tap more doctors. Dr Dholakia said, “We will try to find out in the conference how many registered paediatricians do we have in these areas. In case there is a dearth, we would request paediatricians from nearby areas to look after these districts.”