India has achieved a doctor-population ratio of 1:811, surpassing the World Health Organization’s recommended norm of 1:1,000, the Union government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav revealed that the country has 13.88 lakh registered allopathic doctors and 7.51 lakh registered AYUSH practitioners. Assuming 80 per cent availability across both systems, the estimated ratio stands at 1 doctor for every 811 people.
The data is drawn from the Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure & Human Resources) 2022–23, which compiles administrative health data reported by states and Union Territories.
The Minister also shared details on nursing strength. As per the Indian Nursing Council, India has 39.40 lakh nursing personnel. With 80 per cent assumed to be in active service, the nurse-to-population ratio is estimated at 2.23 per 1,000 population.
He emphasised that in order to meet rising workforce requirements, India currently has 5,310 nursing institutions, including 806 government-run colleges, producing nearly 3.82 lakh nurses annually.
The states and Union Territories bear primary responsibility for strengthening public healthcare systems and filling vacancies in government facilities. The Centre supports these efforts through technical and financial assistance under the National Health Mission (NHM).
Under the NHM, states submit Programme Implementation Plans, which are approved based on norms and resource availability.
While states are encouraged to create regular posts aligned with Indian Public Health Standards, NHM-supported positions are used to address critical short- and medium-term staffing gaps, particularly in primary and secondary healthcare facilities, including district hospitals.
