Lok Sabha Question No. 906 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-24
Subject: Shortage of Health Professionals
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: BANSHILAL MAHTO, HEMAMALINI, KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN, LAKHAN LAL SAHU, PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU, INNOCENT

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.906**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 24** **TH** **JULY, 2015**

**Shortage of Health Professionals**

**906. 	DR. BANSHILAL MAHATO:**

**SHRIMATI HEMA MALINI:**

**SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN:**

**SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU:**

**SHRI P.K. BIJU:**

**SHRI INNOCENT:**

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

(a) whether the country is reportedly facing stortage of medical faculty, doctors and health specialists, including in basic disciplines such as surgery, gynaecology and paediatrics, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(b) the estimated number of doctors, health specialists and other medical and para-medical professionals in the rural and urban areas of the country, State/UT-wise;

(c) the ratio of doctors and other medical and para-medical professionals in the rural and urban areas of the country *vis-a-vis* its population compared to global ratio and the standards laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO);

(d) the action plan drawn by the Government to meet the requirement of health professionals Government and incentivise rural posting of health professionals to ensure that the sufficient number of doctors are available in the rural areas of the country; and

(e) the present status of introduction of Bachelor of Science (Community Health) course in the country, State/UT-wise?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)**

(a) to (c):	As per MCI records, there are 9.29 lakh doctors registered in the Indian Medical Register as on 31.03.2014. Assuming 80% availability, it is estimated that around 7.4 lakh doctors may be actually available for active service. It gives a doctor-population ratio of 1:1674 against the WHO norm of 1:1000. Besides, there are an estimated 6.77 lakh Ayurveda, Unani & Homeopathy (AUH) doctors in the country. If the Allopathic and AUH streams are considered together, it gives a doctor availability ratio of 1:855, which is better than the WHO norms.

Health is a State subject and no data with respect to such professionals in rural and urban areas of the country is maintained centrally.

As per the Report of the Steering   Committee on Health for the 12 th Five Year Plan of the Planning Commission, India has 19 health workers (doctors -6, nurses & midwives – 13) per 10,000 people in India. WHO norms provide for 25 per 10,000 people. Additionally, there are 7.9 Lakh AYUSH practitioners registered in the country (approx. 6.5 per 10,000).

(d):	Medical Council of India (MCI) with the previous approval of Central Government, has amended the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 to provide:

1. 50% reservation in Post Graduate Diploma Courses for Medical Officers in the Government service, who have served for at least three years in remote and difficult areas; and
2. Incentive at the rate of 10% of the marks obtained for each year in service in remote or difficult area as upto the maximum of 30% of the marks obtained in the entrance test for admissions in Post graduate Medical Courses.

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

(e):	The Ministry had requested all State/UTs to include the proposal for introduction of B.Sc (CH) course in their respective State Programme Implementation Plans under NRHM flexi pool.  Government of Assam, Jharkhandand Chhatisgarh have agreed to introduce so far.  Goa and Puducherry are not willing to adopt the course.