Health: Shortages in India's health sector

A Planning Commission Report has revealed shrotages in India's health sector.

Almost 60,000 Indian physicians are estimated to be working in countries like US, UK, Canada and Australia alone - but India has a poor patient-doctor ratio.

According to the report, for every 10,000 Indians, there is one doctor. In contrast, Australia has 249 doctors for every 10,000 people, Canada has 209, UK has 166 and US has 548.

Calling the shortage of human resources a distressing feature of India's healthcare services, the report said, "India ranks at the top of nations whose physicians are working in the major developed countries. India has also emerged as one of the top suppliers of other categories of healthcare professionals, particularly radiologists, laboratory technicians, dental hygienists, physiotherapists and medical rehabilitation workers."

The overriding requirement in the country is for increasing the supply of human resources at all levels from specialists to paramedical personnel and improve their quality.

Australia has 249 doctors for every 10,000 people - and 247 of those will tell you that your broken arm is "something that's going around".