India faces a shortage of 6 lakh doctors, 20 lakh nurses

There is a shortage of 6 lakh doctors in India, according to the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP). There is one government doctor for every 10,189 people (World Health Organization recommends a ratio of 1:1000). The CDDEP report notes that lack of properly trained staff in administering antibiotics is preventing patients from accessing life-saving drugs.

As per the report, the shortage of nurses in India is estimated at 20 lakh. Currently the ratio of nurses to patients is 1:483. This implies for every 483 patients only 1 nurse is available. This leaves patients dependent on informal healthcare providers, especially in rural areas.

The study notes that in India (middle income country) 65 percent of health expenditure is out-of-pocket. In Germany (high income country) the same is just 13 per cent. In India alone 5.7 crore people are pushed into poverty each year.

The report also noted that in India, many health facilities run out of essential antibiotics, forcing patients to purchase high-cost, poor-quality antibiotics from uncertified vendors. Purchasing drugs locally leads to avoidable expenses of Rs 41 crores for the Ministry of Health.

Non-professionals often prescribe or dispense antibiotics. Healthcare providers without formal training provide more than 70 per cent of primary care in India. Only 58 per cent of those referring to themselves as doctors in India's cities have a medical degree; in rural areas the proportion is just 19 per cent, and a third of 'doctors' have only a secondary school education.

Government spending on healthcare in India is 1.4 per cent of gross domestic product and insurance coverage is poor. Public health facilities lack adequate stocks and availability of antibiotics is 50 per cent to 60 per cent  of the required quantity in North Indian states.

As per the report, the rollout of universal health coverage in India could improve access for more than 10 crore families.

In India alone, basic improvements to WASH (inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene) could reduce the number of diarrhoea cases by 59 crores till 2030