Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare addressed Lok Sabha Question No. 970 regarding manpower shortages in Maharashtra's healthcare institutions. The response references a 2024 CAG audit and the Health Dynamics of India (HDI) 2022-23 report. It outlines support provided through the National Health Mission (NHM) and various initiatives to incentivize medical professionals to serve in rural and remote areas.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Manpower Shortages:**
* Maharashtra's doctor-population ratio is 1:732, exceeding the WHO benchmark of 1:1000 by 37%.
* Details on health manpower shortages in rural and urban areas, including Maharashtra, are available in the HDI 2022-23 report.
* **National Health Mission (NHM) Support:**
* NHM supports improvements in health infrastructure and adequate human resources in health facilities.
* The Ministry provides technical and financial support to States/UTs based on Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under NHM.
* The Government of India approves proposals as Record of Proceedings (RoPs) based on available resources.
* **Incentives for Medical Professionals:**
* Hard Area Allowance for specialist doctors serving in rural and remote areas.
* States can offer negotiable salaries and flexible strategies to attract specialists ("You Quote We Pay").
* Non-monetary incentives like preferential postgraduate admission and improved accommodation in rural areas.
* Support for multiskilling of doctors, such as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) and Life Saving Anaesthesia Skills (LSAS).
Impact Analysis:
* **Government of Maharashtra:**
* Impact: Required to address manpower shortages in healthcare institutions and ensure compliance with Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms.
* Action Required: Implement strategies to recruit and retain adequate personnel, utilize NHM support effectively, and address regional disparities in healthcare delivery.
* **Medical Professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Paramedical Staff):**
* Impact: Potentially benefit from incentives like Hard Area Allowance, negotiable salaries, preferential postgraduate admissions, and improved accommodation for serving in rural/remote areas.
* Action Required: Consider opportunities to serve in underserved areas and utilize available incentives for professional development.
* **Citizens of Maharashtra (Especially in Rural Areas):**
* Impact: Aims to improve access to quality healthcare services by addressing manpower shortages and strengthening the public healthcare system.
* Action Required: N/A
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), 2012: A set of norms prescribed for healthcare, mentioned in relation to the sanctioned strength of doctors.
Maharashtra: A state in India, specifically mentioned as having manpower shortages in healthcare institutions.
Public Health Department: A department in Maharashtra dealing with public health, facing manpower shortages and specialist doctor shortfall.
Medical Education and Drugs Department: A department in Maharashtra related to medical education and drugs, also experiencing manpower shortages.
World Health Organization (WHO): An international organization whose doctor-population ratio benchmark is used for comparison with Maharashtra's ratio.
National Health Mission (NHM): A program providing support for improvement in health infrastructure and human resources in health facilities.
Comptroller and Auditor General of India: An entity that conducted an audit regarding manpower shortages in healthcare institutions across Maharashtra.
Health Dynamics of India (HDI): An annual publication based on healthcare administrative data reported by States/UTs, providing details of health manpower shortfall.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 970
TOBE ANSWERED ON25th JULY,2025
MANPOWER SHORTAGESIN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS
970.MS.PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the findings of the recent CAG audit regarding
significant manpower shortages in healthcare institutions across Maharashtra under the Public
HealthDepartment andthe Medical EducationandDrugs Department;
(b) if so, the details thereof including the percentage shortfall of doctors, nurses, and
paramedicalstaff at primary, secondary,andwomen’shospitals;
(c)whether specialist doctorshortfall under the PublicHealth Department hasreachedas high
as 42% and trauma care centres and AYUSH institutions are facing acute staffing deficits and
if so, the detailsthereof;
(d) whether the sanctioned strength of doctors under the Public Health Department is 17%
lower thanthe normsprescribed underthe IndianPublicHealthStandards(IPHS), 2012andif
so, the detailsthereof; and
(e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address regional disparities,
recruit adequate personnel and ensure compliance with IPHS norms to improve public
healthcaredelivery inMaharashtra?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH & FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (e): As informed by the Government of Maharashtra, according to 2024 report of the
Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the doctor-population ratio in the state of
Maharashtra is 1:732. According to the WHO benchmark, the expected ratio is 1:1000. The
doctor-population ratiointhe state is37 percenthigherthanthe WHOnorms.
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
shortfall of healthmanpower inrural & urbanareasinthe countryincludingMaharashtra may
be seen at the following link of HDI2022-23:
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.pdfThe National Health Mission (NHM) provides support for improvement in health
infrastructure, availability of adequate human resources in health facilities, to improve
availability and accessibility to quality health care especially for the under served and
marginalized groups in rural areas. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides
technical and financial support to the States/UTs to strengthen the public healthcare system,
based onthe proposals receivedinthe form of ProgrammeImplementation Plans(PIPs) under
NHM. Government of India provides approval for the proposals in the form of Record of
Proceedings(RoPs) aspernorms& available resources.
The Government of India has taken number of initiatives in the form of incentives and
honorarium to the medical professionals for encouraging better service delivery in rural and
remote areasacross the country, which include:
i. Hard Area Allowance to specialist doctors for serving in rural and remote areas so
thattheyfind it attractive toserve inpublic healthfacilities insuch areas.
ii. States are also allowed to offer negotiable salary to attract specialist including
flexibilityinstrategies such as “YouQuote We Pay”.
iii. Non-monetary incentives such as preferential admission in postgraduate courses for
staff serving in difficult areas and improving accommodation arrangement in rural
areashave also beenintroduced underNHM.
iv. Multi-skilling of doctors is supported under NHM to overcome the shortage of
specialists such as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care
(CEmONC) andLife SavingAnaesthesia Skills(LSAS).
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