Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth · Published 2026-07-01 · DOI 10.4103/mjdrdypu.mjdrdypu_564_25
Sandip K. Rahul, Digamber Chaubey, Rupesh Keshri, Om P. Purbey, Saurav Srivastava, Sourabh Chandrabhushan Sharma, Mausam Singh
Objective: To find the number and distribution of Pediatric surgery centers across the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand and its implications. Methods: A cross-sectional study on the Pediatric surgery centers of Bihar and Jharkhand (two Indian states) was conducted in January 2025. Data regarding the number and status of government institutions, private hospitals, and individual practitioners providing Pediatric surgical services in the two states were collected. Collected data were analysed for distribution, ‘intra-’ and ‘inter-’ state variations, population-based adequacy, and their implications. Results: Both states showed significant deficiency in pediatric surgical services with gross distribution discrepancy. Only 32 Pediatric surgery centers for a population of 129.21 million in Bihar and only 15 for 40.13 million in Jharkhand were less than that found in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Most centers were in the capital cities such as Bihar (50%), Jharkhand (50.33%). In total, 73.68% districts in Bihar and 83.33% in Jharkhand did not have even one center. This resulted in 76.58% cases in Bihar and 61.65% cases in Jharkhand being referred from districts not having a pediatric surgeon to those having one. Only four centers (two per state) had a specialty training program in pediatric Surgery. Although the approximate number of Pediatric surgery beneficiaries (per year) in both these states were 6500 and 2150, respectively, several sick children remain left out in the need of surgery. Conclusion: Specialized pediatric surgical services are severely deficient in Bihar and Jharkhand, having implications for the health and well-being of children. Targeted efforts at all levels are needed.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
Read the article at the publisher →
Rahul, S., Chaubey, D., Keshri, R., et al. (2026). Pediatric Surgery in the Indian States of Bihar and Jharkhand: A Reflection of the Unmet Pediatric Health-Care Needs in a Developing Country. Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth. https://doi.org/10.4103/mjdrdypu.mjdrdypu_564_25