MP Government Launches Five-Year Pilot Project in Rewa, Guna and Dewas to Strengthen Rural Healthcare Services
In a major healthcare policy decision, the Madhya Pradesh Government has approved a pilot project to outsource the management of 18 Community Health Centres (CHCs) across the districts of Rewa, Guna and Dewas to private operators. The initiative comes in response to a severe shortage of specialist doctors in the state’s public healthcare system, where only 113 of the 1,320 sanctioned specialist posts across 327 operational CHCs are currently filled.
According to official sources, the outsourcing model will initially be implemented as a five-year pilot project. The government has stated that the performance of the scheme will be closely monitored during this period, and if found successful, the model may be expanded to additional community health centres across the state.
Five-Year Assessment to Determine Future Expansion
Officials have indicated that the extended evaluation period reflects the government’s intention to treat the initiative as a long-term structural reform rather than a temporary measure to address staffing shortages. The pilot project is being viewed as one of Madhya Pradesh’s most significant public-private partnership experiments in the healthcare sector in recent years.
Reports suggest that five of the 18 selected CHCs currently do not have a single specialist doctor on their rolls, highlighting the severity of the workforce crisis affecting rural healthcare services.
Private Entities to Manage Operations and Staffing
Under the new arrangement, the state government will continue to provide medicines, buildings and other infrastructure. However, responsibilities such as recruitment of specialist doctors, hiring healthcare personnel and managing day-to-day operations will be entrusted to selected private organisations, trusts or entities.
The Public Health and Medical Education Department has been tasked with preparing and finalising tender documents for the operation of these healthcare facilities.
“The Council of Ministers has approved the pilot project to outsource the management of identified Community Health Centres in Rewa, Dewas and Guna, where most doctor posts remain vacant,” the department said in an official statement.
Doctor Shortage Continues to Impact Rural Healthcare
The decision follows growing concerns over the worsening shortage of healthcare professionals in Madhya Pradesh. Government data for 2025-26 reveal that nearly 75% of specialist doctor positions remain vacant across the state.
Out of 5,443 sanctioned specialist posts, only 1,495 are currently occupied, leaving 3,948 positions unfilled. The shortage extends to general medical officers as well, with 2,689 vacancies reported against 6,513 sanctioned posts.
Health Department assessments have repeatedly identified the lack of doctors in rural health facilities and primary health centres as a major obstacle to ensuring round-the-clock healthcare services. As a result, many patients are compelled to travel long distances to district hospitals and medical colleges for treatments that should ordinarily be available at the CHC level.
Government Expects Improved Healthcare Access
The state government believes the outsourcing initiative will help improve healthcare accessibility in underserved rural areas and reduce the burden on higher healthcare institutions.
Officials stated that strengthening CHCs through private management and specialist recruitment is expected to ensure better availability of medical services for the general public and reduce the need for patients to travel for routine healthcare needs.
The pilot project is expected to serve as a test case for whether public-private partnerships can effectively bridge workforce gaps and improve healthcare delivery in Madhya Pradesh’s rural healthcare network.
