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GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
RAJYASABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 1234
TO BE ANSWERED ON10.02.2026
HEALTHWORKFORCEAVAILABILITYRATIOSINPUBLICHEALTH
FACILITIES AGAINSTWHO NORMS
1234. SHRIG.C. CHANDRASHEKHAR:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHAND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleased tostate:
(a) whether Government hasassessed doctor, nurse andspecialist availability ratiosin
public healthfacilities againstWHO norms; and
(b) the time-boundplantoaddress human resource gapsandregionalimbalances?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a)& (b): Health Dynamics of India (HDI) (Infrastructure & Human Resources), 2022-
23 is an annual publication, based on Health care administrative data reported by States/UTs.
Details of doctor, nurse and specialist availability ratios in public health facilities can be
assessed at the following linkof HDI 2022-23:
https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Health%20Dynamics%20of%20India%20%28Infrastr
ucture%20%26%20Human%20Resources%29%202022-23_RE%20%281%29.pdf
There are 13,88,185 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered AYUSH
practitioners.Assumingthat80%ofregisteredpractitionersinboththeallopathicandAYUSHsystemsareavailable,thedoctor-populationratiointhecountryisestimatedtobe1:811,which
isbetterthanWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)standardof1:1000.
As informed by Indian Nursing Council (INC), there are 39.40lakh nursing personnel
in the country and assuming 80% active, resulting in a nurse to population ratio of 2.23
nurses per thousand population. There are 5310 Nursing institutions including 806
government institutions producing nearly 3.82 lakh nursing personnel annually, to meet the
requirementof nursing personnel inthe country.
The primary responsibility of strengthening public healthcaresystem, includingfilling
up of the vacancies in Government Hospitals lies with the respective State/UT Governments.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to the
States/UTs to strengthen the public healthcare system in rural areas based on the proposals
received in the form of Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under National Health
Mission. Government of India provides approval for the proposal in the form of Record of
Proceedings (RoPs) as per norms & available resources. States/ UTs to ensure availability of
HR by creating adequate number of regular posts as per the Indian Public Health Standards
(IPHS) in the long run and using NHM posts in the short to medium term to fill critical gaps.
The NHM supplements the regular human resources by filling up the gaps in human
resources insecondary andprimarycare facilities(District Hospital andbelow) asperIPHS.
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