The High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth emphasised multiple returns of investment in the human resource for health (HRH). Investments made in HRH not only strengthen the health system but also generate employment and contribute to economic growth (WHO). In India, such investments in HRH have the potential to enhance employment growth. They also increase the share of formal employment instead of informal employment and increase women labour force participation in addition to increase in accessibility to health workers by population, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.
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Home / Ht Insight / Public Health / Health workforce in India: Why, where and how to invest?
PUBLIC HEALTH
Health workforce in India: Why, where and how to invest?
Investments made in HRH not only strengthen the health system but also generate employment and contribute to economic growth (WHO).
Investments made in HRH not only strengthen the health system but also generate employment and contribute to economic growth (WHO).
Published on Sep 30, 2021 10:43 AM IST
By Public Health Foundation of India
The High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth emphasised multiple returns of investment in the human resource for health (HRH). Investments made in HRH not only strengthen the health system but also generate employment and contribute to economic growth (WHO). In India, such investments in HRH have the potential to enhance employment growth. They also increase the share of formal employment instead of informal employment and increase women labour force participation in addition to increase in accessibility to health workers by population, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.
Existing studies highlight acute shortage of health workers at all levels, which has also been reected during the current pandemic crisis of Covid-19. A recent 2020 WHO mid-term review of progress on decade for health workforce strengthening in South East Asia Region 2015-2024, mentions that India needs at least 1.8 million doctors, nurses and midwives to achieve the minimum threshold of 44.5 professional health workers per 10 000 population. India needs to invest in HRH for increasing the number of active health workforce and to improve the skill-mix ratio (nurses-doctors and allied-medical personnel).
This study presents an updated estimate on the size and composition of stock of health professionals and active health workforce in the country. Using the information available from the National Health Workforce Account (NHWA) on the stock of health professionals and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Ofce (NSSO 2017–18) on active health workforce, the study estimated a total stock of 5.7 million health workers which included allopathic doctors (1.1 million), dentists (0.27 million), nurses (2.3 million), pharmacists (1.2 million) and traditional medical practitioners (AYUSH 0.79 million). However, the active health workforce size is estimated (from the NSSO 2017-18) to be much lower (3.04 million) with allopathic doctors and nurses estimated as 0.78 million and 1.36 million respectively.