Lok Sabha Question No. 94 (STARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Shortage of Doctors
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dharambir Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 94 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22 ND NOVEMBER , 2019 SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

## †*94. SHRI DHARAMBIR SINGH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  acute  shortage  of  doctors  in country;
- (b) if so, the number of doctors needed in the country vis - à- vis availability, State -wise including in Haryana;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  fixed  any  time  limit  to  address  the  pre shortage of doctors; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) to ( d):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 94* FOR 22 ND NOVEMBER , 2019

(a)to(d) As per information provided by Medical Council of India (MCI), the are  a  total  11,59,309  allopathic  doctors  registered  with  the State  Medical Councils/Medical  Council  of  India  as  on  31 st March,  2019.  Assuming  80% availability, it is estimated that around 9.27 lakh doctors may be actually for  active  service.  It  gives  a  doctor - population  ratio  of  1:1456  as  per  current population estimate of 1.35 billion, which is lower than the WH O norm of 1:1000. Besides, there are 7.88 lakh Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy (AUH) doctors i the  country.  Assuming  80%  availability,  it  is  estimated  that  around  6.30 Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy (AUH) doctors may be actually available for serviceand  considered  together  with  allopathic  doctors,  it  gives  a  do population ratio of 1:867.

Shortage of doctors varies in different States. Public health and hospitals ,being a State subject, the primary responsibility to ensure availability of doctors in public health facilities lies with the State/UT Governments and no data with reg shortage of doctors in the States is maintained centrally. T he details of number of allopathic  doctors  registered  with  the  State  Medical  Councils  /  MCI  incl Haryana is at Annexure.

However,  under  the  National  Health  Mission  (NHM),  financial  and  technic support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems in support for engagement of doctors on contractual basis, based on the require ts posed by the States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs). Sta are encouraged to adopt flexible norms for engaging specialist doctors for health  facilities.  Financial  support  is  also  provided  to  States  for  p performance - based incentives, hard area allowance, providing accommodation and transport facilities in rural and remote areas, sponsoring training program for engaged human resources to address the issue of shortage in the public facilities.

Further, the Central Government has taken several steps to increase the number doctors in the country. These include:

- i. Establishment  of  New  Medical  Colleges  attached  with  district/refer hospitals in underserved districts of the country.
- ii. Strengthening/ upgradatio n of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.
- iii. Relaxation  in  the  norms  for  setting  up  of  Medical  College  in  terms requirement for faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure.
- iv. Minimum  requireme nt  of  land  for  establishment  of  medical  college  i metropolitan cities as notified under Article 243P(c) of the Constitut India has been dispensed with.
- v. Enhancement of maximum intake capacity at MBBS level from 150 to 250.
- vi. DNB qualification has been r cognized for appointment as faculty to take care of shortage of faculty.
- vii. Enhancement  of  age  limit  for  appointment/  extension/  re - employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges years.
- viii. The ratio of teachers to stu dents for Professor has been revised from 1:1 to 1:2  for  all  MD/MS  disciplines  and  1:1  to  1:3  in  all  clinical  subje Government funded medical colleges and in Private medical colleges wi 15 years standing. Further, for Associate Professor, the said ratio has been revised from 1:1 to 1:2 and 1:3 if he/she is a unit head in all clinica in  Government  medical  colleges  and  in  Private  medical  colleges  with years standing.   This would result in increase in number of PG seats country.
- ix. B y amending the regulations, it has been made mandatory for all medi colleges to start PG courses within 3 years from the date of their recognition /continuation of recognition.
- x. Colleges are allowed to apply for PG courses in clinical subjects at the time of 4 th renewal. It will serve to advance the process for starting PG cours more than 1 year.
- xi. Provision has been made in the regulations to offer less number of sea the applicant medical college, in case, it falls short of minimum prescribed requirements of applied intake to avoid wastage of human resources.
- xii. A  Consortium  (a  group  of  2  or  upto  4  private  organizations)  has  b allowed to establish a medical college.

Annexure Number of Doctors Registered with State Medical Councils / Medical Council of India as on 31 st March, 2019

| S.     | Name of the State   | Number of Registered   |
|--------|---------------------|------------------------|
| No. 1. | Andhra Pradesh      | Doctors 100587         |
| 2.     | Arunachal Pradesh   | 973                    |
| 3.     | Assam               | 23902                  |
| 4.     | Bihar               | 40649                  |
| 5.     | Chattisgarh         | 8771                   |
| 6.     | Delhi               | 21394                  |
| 7.     | Goa                 | 3840                   |
| 8.     | Gujarat             | 66944                  |
| 9.     | Haryana             | 5717                   |
| 10.    | Himachal            | 3054                   |
| 11.    | Jammu & Kashmir     | 15038                  |
| 12.    | Jharkhand           | 5829                   |
| 13.    | Karnataka           | 122875                 |
| 14.    | Madhya Pradesh      | 38180                  |
| 15.    | Maharashtra         | 173384                 |
| 16.    | Kerala              | 59353                  |
| 17.    | Mizoram             | 74                     |
| 18.    | Nagaland            | 116                    |
| 19.    | Orissa              | 22521                  |
| 20.    | Punjab              | 48351                  |
| 21.    | Rajasthan           | 43388                  |
| 22.    | Sikkim              | 1405                   |
| 23.    | Tamil Nadu          | 135456                 |
| 24.    | Uttar Pradesh       | 77549                  |
| 25.    | Uttrakhand          | 8617                   |
| 26.    | West Bengal         | 72016                  |
| 27.    | Tripura             | 1718                   |

| 28.   | Telangana                 | 4942      |
|-------|---------------------------|-----------|
| 29.   | Medical Council of India* | 52666     |
|       | Total                     | 11,59,309 |

Note -The other State / UTs do not have their own Medical Registration Council. Hence, their workers get registration with the Councils of other neighbouring States.

* 52666 doctors were registered only with MCI. They are presumably working in States / UTs which do not have a medical register or anywhere in the country.