NSDC to set up skill council in healthcare

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is planning to create a sector skill council (SSC) in the healthcare segment to overcome the shortage of skilled manpower.

NSDC, co-promoted by the Union finance ministry with the mandate of involving the private sector in training 500 million people by 2022, has identified 21 sectors for which 150 million people will be trained by 2022 and healthcare is one of the focused segments, said Dilip Chenoy, chief executive officer of NSDC.

A study conducted by IMaCS (ICRA Management Consulting Services Limited) on behalf of the NSDC has pointed out that the number of workers in the healthcare services sector was 3.1 million in 2008.

For the year 2022, the projected requirement will be around 15.8 million people, which includes doctors, nurses, technicians and paramedics. Consequently, the incremental requirement of people in the healthcare sector by 2022 would be 12.7 million people.

Chenoy said the NSDC was holding discussions with 15-20 major hospitals across the country for the SSC, and expects to get proposals soon.