Lok Sabha Question No. 3707 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Enhancement of Healthcare Workforce
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Pushpendra Singh Chandel, P. C. Mohan, Brijendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3707 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH March, 2022

## ENHANCEMENT OF HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE

3707    SHRIMATI MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH:

SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH:

SHRI P.C. MOHAN:

SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGHCHANDEL:

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

- (a) whether the Government has any estimates regarding healthcare/medical professionals in the country,  including  surgeons  and  specialist  doctors,  nurses  and  para-medical  staff,  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has taken note of the shortage of above personnel in the country, if so, the details of such vacancies in Government hospitals as on date and the steps taken to fill the same category-wise and State/UT-wise;
- (c) the number of above personnel affected by COVID-19 between March and June 2021;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  review  the  strength  of  the  said  personnel  and  the facilities provided to them post COVID-19 pandemic, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  special  measures  to  enhance  the  healthcare/Medical workforce and healthcare facilities to tackle the likely future wave of COVID-19 pandemic and if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State/UT-wise  including  Uttarakhand  and  economically  backward regions like Bundelkhand?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (e): As per information available, there are 13,01,319 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on November, 2021. The  doctor-population  ratio  is  1:834  in  the  country  assuming  80%  availability  of  registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors. Also, there are 2.89 lakh registered dentists, 32.63 lakh registered nursing personnel and 13 lakh Allied and Healthcare Professionals in the country. Health is a State subject and the primary responsibility to fill the vacancies of health personnel in Government hospitals lies with the concerned State Government.  Therefore, details of such vacancies are not maintained centrally.

Further, data on Healthcare Workers who contacted COVID-19 is expected to be maintained by respective States/UTs. Government of India has given first priority to Health Care Workers for COVID-19 vaccination  so  that  they  are  conferred  full  protection  provided  by  vaccine  against COVID-19. Covid vaccination in India started on 16 th January 2021 and the first group taken up for this vaccination are the Healthcare Workers. As a matter of abundant precaution, for those Health  Care  Workers  (HCWs)  &  Front  Line  Workers  (FLWs)  who  have  received  two  doses, another booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine started from 10th January 2022.

The Government has taken following steps to further increase the availability of doctors in the country. The number of UG seats have increased from 51,348 before 2014 to 89875 seats as of date which is an increase of 75%. The numbers of PG seats have increased by 93% from 31,185 seats before 2014 to 60202 seats .

The steps to increase the seats include: - i. Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  establishment  of  new  medical  college  by  upgrading district/ referral hospital under which 157 new medical colleges have been approved and 71 are already functional.

ii. Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.

iii. Central Sector Scheme for upgradation of Government Medical Colleges by construction of  Super  Specialty  Blocks.  A  total  of  75  projects  have  been  approved  and  55  have  been completed.

- iv. Under  Central  Sector  Scheme  for  setting  up  of  new  AIIMS,  22  AIIMS  have  been approved. Undergraduate courses have started in 19 AIIMS.
- v. Relaxation in the norms for setting up of Medical College in terms of requirement for faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure.

vi. DNB  qualification  has  been  recognized  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 upto 70 years.

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