The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi faces a steep decline in number of qualified doctors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007
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New Delhi

Delhi faces a steep decline in number of qualified doctors

Staff Reporter

Requirement of additional doctors has gone up by 11,000 in the Capital, says ASSOCHAM

NEW DELHI: The problem of high attrition rate has now begun to impact the Capital’s hospitals, too, with leading health-related charitable trusts and government hospitals in and around Delhi facing an acute shortage of qualified doctors.

Their number is estimated to have gone up to 11,000 as against 6,000 in the pre-2000 era, according to the health committee of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Says ASSOCHAM health committee head B.K. Rao: “In the pre-2000 era, as many as 3,200 doctors had to attend to about a crore patients in various Delhi’s hospitals and charitable trusts.

Since Delhi is a leading medical centre, it receives a large number of patients from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.”

“In view of the increasing inflow of the number of patients, the requirement for additional Delhi doctors has gone up by 11,000 and the Capital needs their services urgently.

Urgent recruitments

“Therefore, it is recommended that recruitments to this effect be made on a priority basis,” said ASSOCHAM secretary-general D.S. Rawat.

Of the qualified doctors Delhi produces annually, one-third prefer to pursue their post-graduation courses in various disciplines of medical branches while several opt to work outside the country, said Dr. Rawat.

“The ASSOCHAM health committee is of the view that the Central Health Ministry and the Delhi Government should try and take policy measures that might lead to enhancement of seats in Delhi’s various medical colleges.”

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