THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. ANBUMANI RAMADOSS)
(a) & (b) There is no shortage in the aggregate number of doctors and nurses in the
country. As per information furnished by Medical Council of India at present there are
6,83,682 allopathic registered doctors in the country. Apart from this, there are 271
medical colleges with 31,172 annual intake capacity and students passing out from these
medical colleges every year are also adding to the strength of doctor in the country. In
addition, there are more than 6 lakhs practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine and
Homeopathy in the country. However, there is an imbalance in the availability of doctors in
the rural and urban areas of the country. As regard nurses, currently, there are 1597 Graduate
Nursing Midwifery (GNM) Schools functioning in the country with an intake capacity of 80000
students (approximate) per year.
(c) & (d) At present there is no proposal to set up a task force to assess the shortage of
medical professionals and healthcare workers.
(e) to (g) In order to expand the facilities of Medical Education and health related
services, under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) the Government has decided
to set up six AIIMS like institutions in under served-states and also to upgrade 13 existing
Government Medical College / Institutions in ten States. Further, the Government encourages
setting up of new college in the Government as well as private sector and also increase in
intake capacity of medical students. The Government is also exploring the possibilities to
allow utilization of district hospital as teaching hospital by the promoter of private
medical colleges under public private partnership model in the underserved areas in the country
and NRHM focus states.
Under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), all PHC’s are envisaged to be
strengthened by upgrading single doctor PHC to 2 doctors PHC by posting of AYUSH practitioners
and skilled nurses at PHC level. The States are encouraged to appoint doctors, specialists
and paramedics on contractual basis. Multi-skill training of doctors and in-service training
of ANMs / Nurses is done. The States have been requested to strengthen their nursing cadre.
Requirement of funds for establishment/strengthening of nursing and ANM schools, as
incorporated in the PIP of some States under NRHM (2006-07) has been approved.
Strategic frame work has been prepared to meet shortage of nurses in future in the following
manner:-
i) Establishing Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM) and General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) schools
in those districts (230) which are not having both these training programmes.
ii) Establishing post graduation Nursing (M. Sc. (Nursing)) Institutions.
iii) Developing Cadre of nurse midwifery practitioners and establishing training institutions.
In order to check the exodus to doctors and also to attract the doctors to join
Central Health Services (CHS), the Government is providing better service conditions e.g.
higher pay and allowances, better promotional avenues, increase in age of retirements etc.
to CHS doctors. A proposal to make mandatory rural posting is under consideration of the
Government.
