India has adequate number of healthcare professionals, study finds

India has an adequate number of healthcare professionals, albeit their distribution is uneven between rural and urban India and across different states, a recent study has found.

The research was carried out by the Indian Institute of Public Health and is based on the data collected from the registry institutions and the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), a statement released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

The data from the NSSO suggest that there are an estimated 29 doctors per 10,000 people in India, while the data collected from the registry institution estimates the figure to be as high as 38. Both the figures are more than the World Health Organisation's minimum threshold of 22.8, the statement noted.

The study also reports an overall disparity in the density of doctors and nurses across the country, stemming from the fact that their numbers are more in states like Kerala and the Union Territories than in larger states such as Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar.

Additionally, only 23 per cent of the health workers work in the Rural areas where nearly 71 per cent of the country's population lives, the study suggested.

"The study used the 2011-12 National Sample Survey data and projected Human Resource for Health (HRH) number for 2016 using census projection and worker participation rate. In addition, the survey used 2017 registry data of health professionals (Medical Council of India, India Nursing Council, Dental Council of India and other professional associations)," the release read.