In a written reply to the parliament, the government disclosed that India’s doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1:811 meaning one registered doctor (allopathic + AYUSH) for every 811 citizens.
Glimpse:
Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda informed MPs that while there are roughly 13.88 lakh registered allopathic doctors and 7.51 lakh registered AYUSH practitioners, the assumed active-practitioner availability is about 80%. That gives the overall ratio of 1 doctor for every 811 people which still shows a heavy strain on healthcare access, especially in rural and underserved regions.
According to response in the parliament, India currently has 13,88,185 allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered AYUSH practitioners on record. The 1:811 ratio is calculated assuming about 80% of these registered practitioners are actively practicing medicine.
The government also highlighted that medical-education infrastructure has expanded significantly over the past decade the number of medical colleges has increased from 387 to 818 since 2014, and both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical seats have seen considerable rises.
Despite this growth, many experts and public-health analysts believe the national average masks large regional disparities. In rural, remote, and underserved areas including many parts of states like Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh etc. doctor density remains much lower than the national average, aggravating access and quality challenges. The ratio may improve on paper, but uneven distribution of doctors often means that large populations remain underserved.
“One doctor per 811 people may meet the headline ratio but in many villages and small towns, patients still travel hours for a check-up or specialist care.”
By
HB Team
