The Union Government announced on Tuesday that India has made significant progress in improving its doctor-population ratio, now estimated at 1 doctor per 811 people. This figure reflects an 80% availability of both allopathic and AYUSH medical practitioners, marking a positive development in the country’s healthcare landscape.
Responding to a question from Biju Janata Dal MP, Shubhashish Khuntia, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare said that currently, there are 1,386,150 registered allopathic doctors across the country. He said the Ministry of AYUSH has 751,768 registered practitioners. Assuming 80% of these professionals are actively available, the overall doctor-population ratio stands at approximately 1:811.
The minister said the government has undertaken various measures to address the shortage of medical professionals. These include the establishment of 131 new medical colleges through a centrally sponsored scheme, which involves upgrading district and referral hospitals.
“Out of 157 approved medical colleges, these are now operational. Efforts are also underway to strengthen and upgrade existing state and central government medical colleges to increase MBBS and postgraduate seats,” he said.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 75 projects for upgrading government medical colleges—particularly constructing super specialty blocks—have been approved, with 71 of these projects now complete, the government said, adding that 22 new AIIMS have been approved, with undergraduate courses already started in 19 of them.
“To help mitigate faculty shortages, the recognition of DNB qualifications for faculty appointments has been implemented, and the age limit for appointments, extensions, or re-employment of teachers, deans, principals, and directors in medical colleges has been increased to 70 years,” he said.
While the central government is actively working to improve healthcare infrastructure, the primary responsibility for filling vacancies and strengthening the public health system lies with the respective state governments, the minister said. He said that through the National Health Mission (NHM), the central government provides financial and technical support to states and union territories, enabling them to augment their healthcare workforce, often through contractual appointments based on their specific needs.
“To encourage doctors and paramedics to serve in rural and remote areas, various incentives are offered under NHM. These include hard area allowances for specialist doctors working in difficult regions and for their residential quarters, as well as honorariums for gynecologists, pediatricians, anesthetists, and doctors trained in emergency obstetric care, aimed at increasing the availability of specialists for procedures like Cesarean sections,” the reply stated.
The minister further said that incentives are provided for staff involved in antenatal and reproductive health activities, and non-monetary benefits such as preferential admission to postgraduate courses for staff serving in challenging areas and improved rural housing are also in place. “The NHM supports multi-skilling and continuous skill upgradation of healthcare professionals to address the shortage of specialists and improve health outcomes across the country,” he said—(KNO)
