Lok Sabha Question No. 366 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-03
Subject: Shortage of Trained Medical Staff
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ajay Kumar Mandal, Locket Chatterjee, Ramesh Chander Kaushik, Sunil Kumar Pintu, Geeta Kora, Riti Pathak, Jugal Kishore Sharma

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 366 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 rd  FEBRUARY, 2023

## SHORTAGE OF TRAINED MEDICAL STAFF

## 366: SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR PINTU:

SHRIMATI GEETA KORA:

SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA:

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

- (a) whether adequate number of trained nursing and medical staff are available in the country and if so, details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b)  the  number of nursing posts sanctioned and lying vacant in Government health centres and  hospitals  in  various  districts  including  Hooghly  of  West  Bengal;  Sonipat  of  Haryana; Sitamarhi,  Sheohar,  Muzaffarpur,  Bhagalpur  of  Bihar;  Singhbhum  and  Jamshedpur  of Jharkhand; Sidhi of Madhya Pradesh and Jammu of Jammu and Kashmir as on date;
- (c)  the  details  of  steps  taken  to  improve  the  medical  facilities  in  all  the  districts  including Hooghly of West Bengal; Sonipat of Haryana; Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur of Bihar; Singhbhum and Jamshedpur of Jharkhand; Sidhi of Madhya Pradesh and Jammu of Jammu and Kashmir; and
- (d)  the  action  taken  by  the  National  Medical  Commission  against  the  Government  doctors found  negligent  of  duty  alongwith  details  of  the  process  being  followed  for  taking  action against such doctors?

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

- (a)  to  (d)      As  informed  by  Indian  Nursing  Council  (INC),  there  are  35.14  lakh  nursing personnels  in  the  country  giving  a  nurse  to  population  ratio  of  2.06  nurses  per  1000 population. There are 5324 Nursing Institutions including 722 Government Institutes in the country.  As  informed  by  National  Medical  Commission  there  are  13.08  lakh  allopathic

doctors  registered  with  the  State  Medical  Councils  and  National  Medical  Commission. Assuming 80% availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors, the doctor to population ratio in the country is 1:834.

The  primary  responsibility  of  strengthening  public  healthcare  system  including  ensuring availability of nurses and other medical staff in public healthcare facilities in State/UT's lies with the respective State Government.

To strengthen health facilities and improve availability of health professionals in the country the central government started various central sector/centrally sponsored schemes, including 'Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals' for setting up of medical colleges and PMSSY for establishing new AIIMS and upgradation of existing medical colleges. Under the scheme 'Development of Nursing Services' funds are provided to States to upgrade Schools of Nursing into Colleges of Nursing.

Pradhan  Mantri  Ayushman  Bharat  Health  Infrastructure  Mission  (PM-ABHIM)  with  an outlay of Rs. 64,180 Crores aims to support for infrastructure development for Sub-Health Centres, Urban Health and Wellness Centres, Block Public Health Units, Integrated District Public Health Laboratories and Critical Care Hospital Blocks.

Ayushman  Bharat  Digital  Mission  (ABDM)  seeks  to  create  an  interoperable  digital  health ecosystem  for  the  country  and  as  on  31.01.2023,  32.12  crore  Ayushman  Bharat  Health Accounts (ABHAs) created.

Ayushman  Bharat,  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana  (AB-PMJAY)  provides  health coverage  to  10.74  crore  families  up  to  Rs.5.00  lakh  per  family  per  year  and  22.87  crore Ayushman Cards have been created as on 29.01.2023.

Ayushman  Bharat-Health  and  Wellness  Centres  (AB-HWCs)  scheme  envisages  to  deliver Comprehensive  Primary  Health  Care  by  transforming  Sub-Health  Centres  (SHCs)  and Primary  Health  Centres  (PHCs),  both  Rural  &  Urban,  into  Health  and  Wellness  Centres (HWCs)  to  achieve  Universal  Health  Coverage  and  total  HWCs  as  on  01.02.2023,  are 156414.

Under National Health Mission (NHM), support is provided to the State/UTs to strengthen their  health  care  system  based  on  the  proposal  received  from  the  States  so  as  to  provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care services all over the country. The states are also encouraged to adopt flexible norms for engaging doctors and specialist for public healthcare facilities.

Under the NMC Act, 2019, National Medical Commission or the appropriate State Medical Councils have been empowered to take disciplinary action against a doctor found negligent of duty as per the provisions of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations 2002.

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