Lok Sabha Question No. 666 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-26
Subject: Shortage of Doctors in Rural Areas
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: DALPAT SINGH PARASTE, SRINIVAS KESINENI, RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA, P.R. SUNDARAM, B.V. NAYAK, BHAGWANTH KHUBA, KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO, NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE, RODMAL NAGAR

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 666 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH FEBRUARY, 2016

## SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS IN RURAL AREAS

## 666. SHRI DALPAT SINGH PARASTE:

SHRI KESINENI NANI:

SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYANA:

SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

SHRI B.V. NAIK:

SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA:

SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO:

SHRI NANA PATOLE:

SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

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

- (a) the number of registered doctors and other medical and para - medicalprofessionals  in  the country, State/UTwise along with the ratio of doctors in rural and urb n areas of the country;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware of  the  shortage  of  doctors/specialists  and surgeo ns  of various  streams  across  the country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the measures  taken  by  the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the doctors/specialists/ surgeons avoid themselves being posted in rural areas;
- (d) if so, the action taken by the Government to ensure the sufficient number of doctors in the rural areas;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  proposes to  increase  the  number  of  doctors  in  the coun ry particularly in rural areas; and
- (f) if so, the details of the schemes launched/steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a) : As per information provided by respective regulatory bodies, 9,59,198 doctors 7,89 Auxiliary  Nurse  Midwives  (ANM),  17,93,337  Registered Nurse  &  Registered  Midwives (RN&RM)  and  6,74,782  Pharmacists  are  registered  in  the  country.  No  such  data  for  All Health is maintained centrally.  State/UT wise details are at Annexure.

(b): The Government is aware that there is shortage of doctors, part icularly specialists in the country.  Health  being  a  State  subject,  no  such  data  is  maintained  Centrally. A  number  of measures have been taken in order to meet the shortage of doctors in the country; these in

- I. The  ratio  of  teachers  to  students  has  been revised  from  1:1  to  1:2  for  all  MD/MS disciplines and 1:1 to 1:3 in subjects of Anaesthesiology, Forensic Radiotherapy, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology and Psychiatry.
- II. DNB  qualification  has  been  recognized  for  appointment  as  faculty  to  take care  of shortage of faculty.
- III. Enhancement of maximum intake capacity at MBBS level from 150 to 250.
- IV. Enhancement  of  age  limit  for  appointment/extension/re - employm nt  against  posts  of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges from 65 - 70 years.
- V. Relaxation in the norms for setting up of a medical college in terms of requireme land, faculty, staff, bed/ bed strength and other infrastructure.
- VI. Strengthening/upgradation of State Government Medical Colleges for starting new P courses/Increas e of PG seats.
- VII. Establishment of New Medical Colleges by upgrading district/referral preferably in underserved districts of the country.

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- VIII. Strengthening /upgradation  of  State  Government/Central  Government  Medical  Colleges to increase MBBS seats.

(c) to (f) : Following amendments have been carried out in Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations to encourage doctors to serve in the rural areas vide notifications dated 19 and  27.02.2012 respectively:

- (i) Incentive at the rate of 10% the marks obtained for each year in service in remote or difficult areas upto the maximum of 30% of the marks obtained in the entrance tes admissions in Post Graduate Medical Courses; and
- (ii) 50%  of  the  seats  in  Post  Graduate  Diploma  Courses  shall  be  res erved  for  Medical Officers in the Government service, who has served for at least three years in remo difficult areas.  After acquiring the PG Diploma, the Medical Officers shall serve more years in remote and/or difficult areas.

Further, und er NHM, financial incentive is also provided to MBBS as well as PG doctor for serving in the rural areas. These incentives are over and above the salaries of t concerned.

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Annexure State wise details of available health care professionals in the Country

| Sl. No.   | State                    | Registered Doctors   | Registered ANM   | Registered RN & RM   | Registered Pharmacists   |
|-----------|--------------------------|----------------------|------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh           | 70799                | 134694           | 210000               | 43958                    |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh        | 610                  | 641              | 510                  | 279                      |
| 3         | Assam                    | 21480                | 24043            | 18506                | 2715                     |
| 4         | Bihar                    | 38260                | 8624             | 9413                 | 4163                     |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh             | 6115                 | 8018             | 7851                 | 9713                     |
| 6         | Delhi                    | 10932                | 3720             | 50197                | 25030                    |
| 7         | Dadra & Nagar Haveli     | --                   | --               | --                   | 91                       |
| 8         | Damn & Diu               | --                   | --               | --                   | 52                       |
| 9         | Goa                      | 3318                 | --               | --                   | 466                      |
| 10        | Gujarat                  | 53954                | 40694            | 99125                | 32030                    |
| 11        | Haryana                  | 5717                 | 22850            | 28356                | 8757                     |
| 12        | Himachal Pradesh         | 2035                 | 11448            | 15424                | 2818                     |
| 13        | Jammu & Kashmir          | 13393                | --               | --                   | --                       |
| 14        | Jharkhand                | 4475                 | 4071             | 2355                 | --                       |
| 15        | Karnataka                | 101273               | 54039            | 231643               | 79508                    |
| 16        | Kerala                   | 45772                | 29710            | 215708               | 25481                    |
| 17        | Lakshadweep              | --                   | --               | --                   | 3082                     |
| 18        | Madhya Pradesh           | 31043                | 37199            | 108855               | 1381                     |
| 19        | Maharashtra              | 153513               | 51456            | 106155               | 156315                   |
| 20        | Manipur                  | --                   | 3220             | 5503                 | --                       |
| 21        | Meghalaya                | --                   | 1066             | 3235                 | 619                      |
| 22        | Mizoram                  | --                   | 1932             | 2973                 | 330                      |
| 23        | Nagaland                 | 111                  | --               | --                   | 1553                     |
| 24        | Orissa                   | 19188                | 59281            | 75358                | 14312                    |
| 25        | Puducherry               | --                   | --               | --                   | 2493                     |
| 26        | Punjab                   | 42013                | 23029            | 76680                | 41533                    |
| 27        | Rajasthan                | 35168                | 107673           | 186821               | 38156                    |
| 28        | Sikkim                   | 864                  | --               | --                   | --                       |
| 29        | Tamil Nadu               | 111325               | 55975            | 236161               | 58466                    |
| 30        | Tripura                  | --                   | 2040             | 2259                 | 257                      |
| 31        | Uttar Pradesh            | 65343                | 43488            | 42612                | 30276                    |
| 32        | Uttarakhand              | 5693                 | 1864             | 1513                 | 1318                     |
| 33        | West Bengal              | 64138                | 59021            | 56124                | 89630                    |
| 34        | Medical Council of India | 52666                | --               | --                   | --                       |
|           | TOTAL                    | 959198               | 789796           | 1793337              | 674782                   |