Lok Sabha Question No. 1129 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-28
Subject: Doctor Patient Ratio
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ajay (Teni) Misra, Sumedhanand Saraswati, P.P. Chaudhary, Devji Mansingram Patel, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1129 TH

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 JUNE, 2019

## DOCTOR PATIENT RATIO

## 1129. SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI:

SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI:

SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:

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

- (a)  whether  there  is  acute  shortage  of  doctors  in  the  country  and  as  per  the  report Health Organization there is one doctor for 1953 persons in the country at present whil should be one doctor per one thousand persons in the country; (b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government for achieving the said target;
- (c)  the  details  of  the  doctor  patient  ratio  at  present  in  the  country,  State/UTwise Maharashtra; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to upgrade the district hospitals as medical colleges for streamlining  the  shabby  health  services  and  providing  better  health  services;  if  so  th thereof along with the total number of district hospitals being upgraded in the first ph said scheme, S tate/UT - wise?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (c) : As per information provided by Medical Council of India (MCI), there are a to 11,57,771  allopathic  doctors  registered  with the  State  Medical  Councils/Medical  Council  of India as on 31 st January, 2019. Assuming 80% availability, it is estimated that around 9.26 doctors may be actually available for active service. It gives a doctor - population ratio of 1:1457 as per curren t population estimate of 1.35 billion, which is lower than the WHO norm of 1:10 Besides, there are 7.8 8 lakh Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy (AUH) doctors in the country. Assuming  80%  availability,  it  is  estimated  that  around  6. 30  lakh Ayurveda,  Unani  an d Homeopathy (AUH) doctors may be actually available for service and considered together w allopathic doctors, it gives a doctor population ratio of 1:868. Further, the State / UT regarding doctor -population ratio is not maintained centrally . However, the details of number of allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils / MCI is at Annexure.

The Government has taken several steps to increase the number of doctors in the cou These include:

## For increasing UG Seats: -

(i )  Enhancement of maximum intake capacity at MBBS level from 150 to 250.

(ii)  Relaxation in the norms forsetting up of Medical College in terms of requirement ofland, faculty, staff, bed/bed strength and other infrastructure.

(iii)  Strengthening/ upgradation  of  existing  State  Government/Central  Government      Medical Colleges to increase MBBS seats.

(iv) Establishment of New Medical Colleges attached with district/referral hospitals   p in underserved districts of the country.

## For increasing PG Seats: -

(i)   The ratio of teachers to students has been revised from 1:1 to 1:2 for all MD/MS d and from 1:1 to 1:3 in subjects of Anesthesiology, Forensic Medicine, Radiotherapy, Medi Oncology, Surgical Oncology and Psychiatry in all med ical colleges across the country. Further, teacher:  student  ratio  in  public  funded  Government  Medical  Colleges  for  Professor  has increased from 1:2 to 1:3 in all clinical subjects and for Asso. Prof. from 1:1 to 1:2 i Prof. is a unit head. The same has also been extended to the private medical colleges with certain conditions .This would result in increase in number of PG seats in the country.

- (ii)        DNB  qualification have  been  equated  with  MD/MS/DM/M.Ch  qualifications  and recognized for appointment as faculty in medical colleges.
- (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/ upgradatio n 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 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 4 it will serve to advance the process for starting PG courses by more than 1 year.

(d) : The Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  We lfare is  implementing  a  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme namely ' Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/refe hospitals' with fund sharing between the Central Government and States in the ratio of 90:10 NE/special category States and 60:40 for other states. Under the scheme, 82 districts hospitals in 21 States/UTwere identified  to  establish  new  Medical  Colleges  attached  with  existi district/referral hospitals. Out of these, 39 have b come functional.

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

| 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.       | 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                | 133918                         |
| 24.      | Uttar Pradesh             | 77549                          |
| 25.      | Uttrakhand                | 8617                           |
| 26.      | West Bengal               | 72016                          |
| 27.      | Tripura                   | 1718                           |
| 28.      | Telangana                 | 4942                           |
| 29.      | Medical Council of India* | 52666                          |
|          | Total                     | 11,57,771                      |

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.