GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1862
TO BE ANSWERED ON 15TH DECEMBER, 2015

SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS AND PARAMEDICS

1862. SHRI A.K. SELVARAJ:

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

(a) whether it is a fact that after ten years of rural health mission, shortage of doctors hampers
healthcare in rural areas, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is also a fact that at the country level, there is a staggering shortfall of 81 per cent
of specialist doctors, 12 per cent of general physicians, 21 per cent of nurse and 5 per cent of
auxiliary nursecum-midwives; and

(c) whether among the technical support staff, shortfalls range from 29 per cent for pharmacists
to 45 per cent of laboratory technicians and 63 per cent for radiographers?

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

(a): Public health being a State subject, the primary responsibility to ensure availability of
health human resources in public health facilities lies with the State Governments. However,
under the National Health Mission (NHM), support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their
healthcare systems including for engaging health human resources on contractual basis based on
the requirements proposed by the States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans. NHM
has attempted to fill the gaps in human resources by providing nearly 1.88 lakh additional health
human resources to States including 7,263 General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs), 3,355
Specialists, 17,362 Paramedics, 73,154 ANMs, 40,847 Staff Nurses, 24,890 AYUSH Doctors,
6,005 AYUSH Paramedics, etc. on contractual basis.

There is no denying that shortage of doctors in public health facilities in rural areas hampers
quality of health care delivery in those facilities.

(b) & (c): According to information received from State/UTs, there are shortfalls of 81.2 per
cent of specialist doctors in CHCs, 11.9 per cent of allopathic doctors in PHCs, 20.5 per cent of
nursing staff in PHCs & CHCs, 5.2 per cent of health worker (female)/Auxiliary Nurse
Midwives in Sub-Centres & PHCs, 27.1 per cent of Pharmacists in PHCs & CHCs, 44.6 per cent
of Laboratory Technicians in PHCs & CHCs and 63.1 per cent of Radiographers in CHCs in the
country during 2014-15.

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