Meagre doctor patient ratio: a burning matter of concern in the Indian healthcare system

Very recently, there was a statistical data released by Medical Council of India claiming that the doctor-population ratio in the country stands at 1:1681. And this was based on the assumption that 80% of these doctors were available on any given day. This excluded non-allopathy doctors. Between April 2013 and March 2016, reports suggested that 4,701 doctors who graduated from India chose to go abroad.

Previously also, it was found from reports that World Health Organization’s 2000 World Health report ranks India’s Health care system as 112 out of 190 countries.

In recent times, Government of India has opened up AIIMS, the most esteemed medical care facility in many cities of India but unfortunately, it has not much affected the rural health care condition of India, instead it has further potentiated the wide gap between rural and urban India. 

Medical experts in our country feel that India is on the brink of a major healthcare crisis. While globally, our country acclaims to be a treatment hub of non-communicable and communicable diseases, but actually there is acute shortage of doctors. Government data shows hundreds of posts of doctors, including specialists, continue to remain vacant in government-run hospitals which cater to the needy.

But, why is the situation turning grave? Why is the Indian medical system jeopardised with lack of physicians and why rural health care system is not progressing as aimed? May be the answers lie in our slow moving recruitment and distribution system of India. Also negligence and corruption by Government paid doctors in various rural areas add to the difficult situation.

The quality of medical education has degraded with the auction of medical seats in crores, unfettered autonomy to medical colleges, deemed universities, rampant corruption in academic affairs and ill-equipped institutions. Pursuing a medical profession was a passion for aspiring students in earlier times who with their perseverance and talent were able to grab a medical seat. Now the present scenario in medical education attracts those who can afford fetching the profession  and finally after getting a degree such young doctors start their own private clinics or fetch a job in private hospitals and nursing homes; minting money from patients in an extensive manner or fly abroad to  pursue lucrative career options and higher education.

There is blowing disproportion of health care delivery in an urban and rural set up. Primary health centres need to emerge in every nook and corner of rural areas with well-equipped instrument, infrastructure, adequate manpower and dedicated doctors. 

The reluctance to serve the needy in rural areas is indeed a matter of concern; however, doctors aren’t to be blamed on the whole as their reluctance can be partly attributed to  lower recruitment drive in the government sector, lack of infrastructure, lack of availability of essential medical equipment and medicines, and low salary in government hospitals. There are also shortage of patient beds, nurses and allied manpower in existing government hospitals. Because of low infrastructure and facility; government doctors frequently face the wrath and anger of patients and patients’ relatives despite attempting their best which make them leave and opt for better options. Until and unless proper medical infrastructure and adequate facilities are available in primary health care centres/ government hospitals, the situation of scarcity of doctors is unlikely to improve. The government in addition to increasing the number of medical colleges and government hospitals across the country, should also notice the huge gap in the number of available undergraduate and postgraduate seats in existing medical colleges. Lack of specialists should be specifically addressed. 

India’s flagship health programme, the National Rural Health Mission, with Primary Health Centres acting as cornerstone of rural health delivery system though progressing, is still in its infancy phase. Rural Health care centre Doctors need to realise the ordeal faced by poor patients who desperately need them to cure their ailments hence they should readily embrace and deliver health care wholeheartedly and if not then stringent laws need to be implemented against them. The Government and the Medical council also have an equal share of responsibility to provide all facilities and implement rules to curb corruption from all possible roots. Lastly let us not defame doctors as they are the most essential pillar of healthcare and hope that soon the scarcity of doctors shall be overcome, and with their show of utmost passion and expertise, a favourable doctor-patient ratio can be predicted in the near future.