MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.320 FOR 14TH DECEMBER, 2012
(a) Uneven distribution of health professionals in rural areas is a constraint in providing effective and comprehensive health care delivery in rural areas.
(b) State-wise estimates of availability of doctors and nurses in urban and rural areas as per HRH Technical Report, 2008
(By Krishna D. Rao and others) are attached as Annexure –I-A and I-B.
(c) As per Rural Health Statistics in India, 2011, the State/UT wise statement showing the shortfall of Doctors, Specialists, Nurses, Male and Female Health workers at Sub Centers (SCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) is placed at Annexure - II to VI. No such information is available for urban areas.
(d)&(e) Public Health is a state subject. Financial support is provided to States under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to strengthen the health system including engagement of doctors and paramedics on contractual basis based on the requirement proposed by the States in their annual Programme Implementation Plans. Further, support is also being provided under NRHM for multi-skilling of doctors to overcome the shortage of specialists, provision of incentives to serve in rural areas, mainstreaming of AYUSH, improved accommodation arrangements for health functionaries in rural areas and mobile medical
units etc.
To increase the availability of doctors, several initiatives have been taken to rationalize the norms in medical
education, such as, relaxation in land requirements, bed strength, increase in ceiling for maximum intake for
undergraduates, enhancement of teacher-student ratio in PG etc which has resulted in substantial increase in
number of undergraduate and post graduate seats. There is a proposal in the Twelfth Plan to support establishment
of new medical colleges in deficient states and strengthening of Government Medical colleges to increase the MBBS
seats. Government has also approved setting up of ANM/GNM Schools in different States besides setting up of Institutes
of Paramedical Sciences at National and regional levels.
