Lok Sabha Question No. 2017 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Shortage of Beds in Hospitals
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Chandeshwar Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2017 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH NOVEMBER, 2019

## SHORTAGE OF BEDS IN HOSPITALS

## 2017. SHRI CHANDESHWAR PRASAD:

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

- (a) whether the Government has made any assessment of hospitals throughout the country to ascertain  the  requirement  of beds  for  effective  implementation  of 'Ayushman  Bharat Scheme;
- (b)if so, the number of beds currently available in the hospitals;
- (c) the necessary steps taken to bridge the gap between actual requirement and available beds in hospitals in the country;
- (d)  the  number  of  existing  graduate and  post -graduate  doctors  in  th e country and  the estimated requirement of such doctors; and
- (e) the plan of action worked out by the Government to meet the shortfall of doctors in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUM AR CHOUBEY)

- (a) to (c): Ayushman Bharat Yojana comprises two components namely (i) Provision of Comprehensive  Primary  Healthcare  (CPHC)  through  Ayushman  Bharat - Health  and Wellness Centers (AB - HWCs),  and  (ii)  Ayushman  Bharat - Pradhan  Mantri  Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The requirement of hospital beds varies from one region to another based on age of population and disease profile; their incidence & prevalence rates.

Under AB-PMJAY, hospitals are empanelled based on defined criteria, including th requirement of minimum beds, and hospital empanelment guidelines, which have been issue to all the States. The empanelment of hospitals is being done by the State Health Age ncies of respective States. The guidelines and list of empanelled hospitals are available on th www.pmjay.gov.in.  As  on  25.11.2019,  AB - PMJAY  has  19,668  empanelled  hospitals. However, Public Health being a State Subject, data is not maintained cent rally regarding the number of beds in hospitals in the country.

(d) & (e): As  per  the  information  provided  by  Board  of  Governors  in  supersession Medical Council of India, there are a total 11,59,309 allopathic doctors registered State Medical Cou ncils/Medical Council of India as on 31st March, 2019. Separate lists graduate and post -graduate doctors in the Country are not maintained centrally. However, t details of number of allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils / M s at Annexure -I. Assuming 80% availability, it is estimatedthat around 9.27 lakh doctors ma actually  available  for  active  service.  It  gives  a  doctor - populati n  ratio  of  1:1456  as  per current population estimate of 1.35 billion, which is lower than th e WHO norm of 1:1000.

Besides, there are 7.88 lakh Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy (AUH) doctors in the country. Assuming 80% availability, it is estimated that around 6.30 lakh Ayurveda, and  Homeopathy  (AUH)  doctors  may  be  actually  available  for  ser vice  and  considered together with allopathic doctors, it gives a doctor population ratio of 1:867.

The steps taken by the Government to increase the number of seats in various med educational institutes/medical colleges across the country are at Anne xure II.

| S. No.   | Name of the State         | Number of Registered Doctors   |
|----------|---------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh            | 100587                         |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh         | 973                            |
| 3.       | Assam                     | 23902                          |
| 4.       | Bihar                     | 40649                          |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh              | 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.      | Uttarakhand               | 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.

## Steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase  the  number  of  seats  in  various medical educational institutes/medical colleges across the Country For increasing UG Seats:-

- i. Enhancement of maximum intake capacity at MBBS level from 150 to 250.
- ii. Relaxation  in  the  norms  for  setting  up  of  Medical  College  in  terms  of requirement of land, faculty, staff, bed/bed strength and other infrastructure.
- iii. Minimum  requirement  of  land  for establishment  of medical  college in metropolitan cities as notified under Article 243P(c) of the Constitution of India has been dispensed with.
- iv. Strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS seats.
- v. Establishment of New Medical Colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals preferably in underserved districts of the country.

## For increasing PG Seats:-

- i. The ratio of teachers to students for Professor has been revised from 1:1 to 1:2  for  all  MD/MS  disciplines  and  from  1:1  to  1:3  in  all  clinical  subjects  in Government funded medical colleges and in Private medical colleges with 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 clinical subjects in Government medical colleges and in Private medical colleges with 15 years standing. This would result in increase in number of PG seats in the country.
- ii. DNB qualification has been recognized for appointment as faculty to take care of shortage of faculty.
- iii. Enhancement of age limit for appointment/ extension/ re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges upto 70 years.
- iv. Strengthening/ upgradation of State Government Medical Colleges for starting new PG courses/Increase of PG seats.
- v. By  amending  the  regulations,  it  has  been  made  mandatory  for  all  medical colleges  to  start  PG  courses  within  3  years  from  the  date  of  their  MBBS recognition /continuation of recognition.
- vi. Colleges are allowed to apply for PG courses in clinical subjects at the time of 4th renewal it will serve to advance the process for starting PG courses by more than 1 year.