One doctor for every 811 people, Nadda tells RS

India is confronted with a stark mismatch between its healthcare needs and the number of doctors on its rolls, according to fresh data presented in Parliament on Tuesday.

JP Nadda, Union Health Minister, disclosed in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha that the country currently has around 13,88,185 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered practitioners in the AYUSH. “Assuming roughly 80 per cent of these registered professionals are active, the effective doctor-to-population ratio works out to be one doctor for every 811 people,” he said.

The government, for its part, has highlighted a major ramp-up in medical education as a remedy. Since 2014, the number of medical colleges has grown from 387 to 818.