India faces a shortfall of 83.4% surgeons: JP Nadda

Reflecting abysmally poor healthcare facilities in rural India, government on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the availability of physicians and surgeons fell 83 per cent and 83.4 per cent short of requirement in 2014-15.

"According to Rural Health Statistics, 2014-15, there was a shortfall of 83.4 per cent of surgeons, 76.3 per cent of obstetricians and gynecologists, 83.0 per cent of physicians and 82.1 per cent of paediatricians in the country," Health Minister J P Nadda said in a written reply.

The National Health Mission (NHM), which supports states and UTs in strengthening their healthcare systems, provided about 1.88 lakh additional health human resources to states/UTs, Nadda said.  "This included 7,263 general duty medical officers, 3355 specialists, 17362 paramedics, 73154 ANMs, 40847 staff nurses, 24890 ayush doctors, 6005 ayush paramedics etc, on contractual basis," the Minister said.