According to the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the country is having one doctor for every 1,404 persons as against the WHO prescribed proportion of one doctor per 1,000 persons.
- In a written reply to a question posed by Lok Sabha member Mr Vijay Baghel, the Minister also said that as per Medical Council of India (MCI) there are a total 12, 01,354 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils/Medical Council of India as on 30th September, 2019.
- Assuming 80 per cent availability, it is estimated that around 9.61 lakh doctors may be actually available for active service.
- The shortage of doctors varies in different states and the shortage is more due to uneven rural-urban distribution. Public health and hospitals, being a state subject, the primary responsibility to ensure availability of doctors in public health facilities lies with the State/UT Governments.
