The Government of India has taken many steps to reduce the shortage of doctors and other health professionals in the country which include:
i. Relaxation in the norms for setting up of a medical college in terms of requirement for land, faculty, staff, bed/ bed strength and other infrastructure.
ii. Enhancement of maximum intake capacity at MBBS level from 150 to 250.
iii. Relaxation in teacher - student ratio to increase the seats at Postgraduate level.
iv. Enhancement of age limit for appointment/extension/re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges from 65-70 years.
v. Financial support to State medical colleges, under the scheme of “Strengthening and upgradation of State Government Medical Colleges”, to increase postgraduate seats in various disciplines or to start new postgraduate medical courses.
vi. Financial assistance to strengthen and upgrade the schools and colleges of nursing, pharmacy and paramedics.
vii. Establishment of eight AIIMS-like institutions (six in first phase and two in second phase) in the country under PMSSY.
viii. Establishment of 6 colleges of nursing at sites of AIIMS like institutions being set up under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yozana (PMSSY).
ix. Establishment of one National Institutes of Paramedical Sciences (NIPS) atNajafgarh, Delhi and eight Regional Institutes of Paramedical Sciences (RIPS) atChandigarh, Coimbatore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Lucknow and in Bihar under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
x. Norms to start B. Sc. (Nursing) & M. Sc. (Nursing) have been relaxed.
xi. Admission for Nursing allowed for married candidates.
The doctor-population ratio is inadequate due to huge population and less availability of doctors in the country.The proposal for Bachelor of Science (Community Health) course has been prepared in consultation with MCI. Nonetheless, in order to address the serious concern of shortage of availability of human resources in health sector in rural areas, the Government is committed to introduce the course, with inbuilt safeguards.
The introduction of the proposed B.Sc. (CH) course has been approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 13.11.2013 and course is likely to be introduced from the academic year 2015-16.
This was stated by Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.