**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 2176 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 12th, 2025. It provides information about the shortage of doctors and nurses in the country, the measures taken by the government to address the shortage, and the current status of medical and nursing education infrastructure. The document outlines several centrally sponsored schemes aimed at increasing the number of medical professionals and improving healthcare facilities.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Availability of Medical Professionals:**
* 13,88,185 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered AYUSH practitioners are available.
* Assuming 80% availability, the doctor-population ratio is estimated at 1:811.
* Approximately 42.94 lakh registered nursing personnel are available.
* Assuming 80% availability, the nurse-population ratio is estimated at 3:1000.
* **Increase in Medical Education Infrastructure:**
* Significant increase in Medical Colleges, Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) seats since 2014.
* Medical Colleges increased from 387 to 818.
* UG seats increased from 51,348 to 1,28,875.
* PG seats increased from 31,185 to 80,291.
* **Government Measures to Increase Medical Professionals:**
* Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishing new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals (137 out of 157 approved are functional).
* Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening/upgradation of existing State/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.
* Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) scheme for upgrading Government Medical Colleges with Super Specialty Blocks/Trauma care centers (71 of 75 projects are complete) and establishing new AIIMS (22 AIIMS approved).
* Establishment of 157 new nursing colleges under a Centrally sponsored scheme.
* Financial assistance under the Central Sector Scheme ‘Development of Nursing Services’ to upgrade schools of Nursing into Colleges of Nursing.
* **Augmentation of Healthcare Facilities:**
* Continuous administrative process to augment healthcare facilities in Central Government Hospitals and AIIMS, including creating and filling vacant posts for doctors and other staff.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: General Population**
* **Impact:** Improved access to healthcare services due to increased availability of medical professionals and enhanced infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** None specified.
**Stakeholder: Medical and Nursing Students/Professionals**
* **Impact:** Increased opportunities for medical and nursing education and professional growth.
* **Action Required:** None specified.
**Stakeholder: State/Central Government Hospitals and AIIMS**
* **Impact:** Strengthening of healthcare facilities through infrastructure upgrades and increased staffing.
* **Action Required:** Implementation of schemes and continuous administrative processes to fill vacant positions and augment infrastructure.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The primary government ministry responsible for health policies and programs.
AIIMS: All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a group of autonomous public medical institutions.
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY): A centrally sponsored scheme with components for upgrading medical colleges and establishing new AIIMS.
Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical college by upgrading district/ referral hospital: A government scheme for establishing new medical colleges.
Indian Nursing Council (INC): Professional Regulatory Body under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regulating Nursing profession in India.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2176
TOBE ANSWERED ON12TH DECEMBER, 2025
SHORTAGEOFDOCTORSAND NURSES
2176. SHRIUMMEDARAM BENIWAL:
Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate:
(a)whether the Government hasassessed the shortage of doctors, nurses andparamedicsin
the country;
(b) if so, the detailsthereof,State-wise; and
(c)whether the Central Government hasfailedtofill up the vacantsanctioned postsin
Central Government hospitals and the AIIMS?
ANSWER
THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) to (c): There are 13,88,185 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered AYUSH
practitioners. Assuming that 80% of registered practitioners in both the allopathic and AYUSH
systems are available,the doctor-populationratiointhe country isestimatedtobe 1:811.
Further, asperthe IndianNursing Council (INC), there are around42.94lakhregistered nursing
personnel. Assuming that 80% of nursing personnel are available, the nurse-population ratio in
the countryisestimated tobe 3:1000.
There has been significant increase in Medical Colleges, Under Graduate (UG) and Post
Graduate (PG) Seats in the country. There is an increase in Medical Colleges from 387 to 818;
UG seats from 51,348to1,28,875andPGseats from 31,185to80,291from 2014asondate.
The measures/steps taken by the Government to increase the medical professionals in the
countryinclude:
i. Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical college by upgrading
district/ referral hospital under which 137 new medical colleges are functional out of
157approvedmedicalcolleges.
ii. Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State
Government/Central Government Medical Collegestoincrease MBBS andPGseats.iii. Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) scheme has a component
related to “Upgradation of Government Medical Colleges by construction of Super
Specialty Blocks/Trauma care centres, etc.” Out of 75 projects, 71 projects are
complete under this component. The other component is for setting up of new AIIMS,
22AIIMS have beenapproved.
iv. Establishment of 157 new nursing colleges under Centrally sponsored scheme for
augmentingnursing education.
v. Under the Central Sector Scheme ‘Development of Nursing Services’ financial
assistance is provided to States/UTs to upgrade schools of Nursing into Colleges of
Nursing.
Augmentation of Healthcare facilities to cater to the increasing needs and functional
requirement inCentral Government Hospitals andAIIMS includingcreationof posts andfilling
upof vacantposts of doctorsandotherstaff isa continuousadministrative process.
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