Transforming Healthcare: Improving Doctor and Nurse Availability in India

India has significantly expanded its medical education system, increasing medical colleges by 82% and MBBS seats by 112% since 2014, leading to improved doctor and nurse ratios.

Highlights:

82% rise in medical colleges from 2014 to 2023
112% increase in MBBS seats and 127% in PG seats
Improved doctor-patient ratio to 1:834 and nurse-patient ratio to 1:476

Over the years, the Indian government has implemented significant reforms to enhance the healthcare infrastructure, focusing on increasing the availability of medical professionals. This highlights the progress made in expanding medical education and the subsequent improvements in the doctor and nurse populations in India ().

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Growth in Medical Education

Increase in Medical Colleges: Between 2014 and 2023, the number of medical colleges in India rose by 82%, from 387 to 706. This expansion has been a key strategy in addressing the shortage of medical professionals across the country.

Expansion of MBBS and Postgraduate Seats: The number of MBBS seats saw a remarkable 112% increase, from 51,348 in 2014 to 1,08,940 in 2023. Similarly, postgraduate (PG) medical seats increased by 127%, from 31,185 in 2014 to 70,674 in 2023. This substantial growth reflects the government's commitment to producing more qualified doctors to meet the growing healthcare demands.

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Government Initiatives to Improve Healthcare Access

The government has launched several centrally sponsored schemes to establish new medical colleges, particularly by upgrading district and referral hospitals. Of the 157 new medical colleges approved under this initiative, 108 are already functional.

Efforts to upgrade existing State and Central Government medical colleges have also been undertaken to increase the number of available MBBS and PG seats. Furthermore, under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 75 projects to construct Super Specialty Blocks have been approved, with 64 projects already completed.

The government has approved the establishment of 22 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Undergraduate courses have commenced in 19 of these institutions, further enhancing the availability of specialized healthcare services.

Click here to view the detailed statistical tabular columns on the state/UT-wise list of registered doctors and trained nurses as of December 2022.

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Relaxation of Norms to Boost Medical Education

The government has relaxed several norms to facilitate the establishment of new medical colleges and increase the number of medical professionals. These include adjustments to the requirements for faculty, staff, bed strength, and other infrastructure. Additionally, the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) qualification is now recognized for faculty appointments, addressing the shortage of teaching staff in medical colleges.

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Increasing the Number of Nurses

In line with the expansion of medical colleges, the government announced the establishment of 157 new nursing colleges in the 2023-24 budget. These colleges are expected to complement the existing healthcare infrastructure and address the shortage of nursing personnel.

To encourage more institutions to offer nursing programs, the government relaxed the student-patient ratio from 1:5 to 1:3. Additionally, the land requirement for establishing Nursing Educational Institutes has been reduced, allowing the construction of nursing colleges on smaller plots of land.

The government has also relaxed the norms for starting General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) and B.Sc. Nursing programs. For instance, a 100-bedded parent hospital is required for these programs, but this requirement has been eased in hilly and tribal areas.

Current Doctor and Nurse Population

Doctor-Patient Ratio: As of June 2022, there are 13,08,009 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC). Assuming 80% availability, the doctor-population ratio in India stands at 1:834, indicating significant progress in improving healthcare access.

Nurse-Patient Ratio: By December 2022, India had 36.14 lakh nursing personnel. With 80% assumed availability, the nurse-population ratio is 1:476. This marks a notable improvement in the availability of nursing care across the country.

The Indian government's strategic initiatives and reforms in medical education have significantly improved the availability of doctors and nurses. With continued efforts, the country is on a promising path to achieving better healthcare access and outcomes for its population.

Reference:

Update on Ratio Of Patients And Doctors Nurses - (https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1985423#)

Source-Medindia