An RTI response to TN-Info (Reply #4711/2026, dated 22 April) revealed that 385 of Tamil Nadu's 1,694 government Primary Health Centres operate without a sanctioned pediatric Medical Officer — a 22.7% vacancy rate. The disparity is sharpest in Ariyalur (47%), Krishnagiri (41%) and Theni (38%).

The vacancies are tracked on an internal Excel sheet maintained by the Directorate of Public Health's HR cell — not published on the TN Government Jobs portal or the DPH website. DPH advertised the same 92 posts twice in 18 months; the second advertisement does not acknowledge the first.

No state response on the Assembly floor addresses pediatric MO vacancies specifically; aggregated MO numbers are quoted in the Health Budget annex but disaggregation by speciality is absent.