National Doctors’ Day: Amid sacrifice, shortage of specialists, India needs new strategies

In the last one-and-half years, India lost thousands of specialists/doctors along with a very large number of healthcare workers and patients due to the pandemic. The corona warriors sacrificed their own lives to save the people. In the process, they themselves became the victims of the virus. On the occasion of National Doctors’ Day, given the sacrifice and shortage of doctors, experts called for new strategies. According to them better safety mechanisms, strict laws against violence, restructuring medical education, and adoption of new technologies can help in creating a new healthcare ecosystem in the country.  

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has revealed that nearly 594 doctors have lost their lives to this pandemic during the second wave while serving others. In total, the country has lost more than 1,300 doctors since the pandemic hit in the early months of 2020. During the second wave, over 100 doctors lost their lives in Delhi. According to the IMA, Delhi, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh together account for 45 per cent of doctor deaths during the country’s second wave.

Reacting to recent incidents of violence against doctors, the IMA and the Association of Healthcare Providers-India (AHPI) had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging them to bring in stricter laws against healthcare violence. India faces an acute shortage of doctors and it would be very difficult for them to carry on responsibilities under the stress of violence. 

Several studies reveal that India is currently facing a huge shortage of nearly 2 million doctors. Inequitable distributions of skilled health workers result in inequity in providing quality healthcare to all. The rapidly growing Indian healthcare sector is expected to generate demand for 15 million to 20 million new jobs for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals by 2025.

“There is a shortage of specialist doctors in tier-I/II cities so finding doctors for tier-III will not be easy. Existing hospitals can find it a little more convenient to establish hospitals within a 50 km radius and share the specialists. Concurrently, the government need to think out of the box on increasing PG seats and DNB seats. It can also formalize fellowship programs along with speciality associations to have more specialists. The government may also consider establishing dedicated PG institutes like PGI Chandigarh,” said Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General, AHPI. 

According to experts, India needs a comprehensive, uniform and effective law against healthcare violence as the country has been facing severe population health crises not only in the form of COVID-19 but also several serious non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Healthcare leaders and experts have given a clarion call to accelerate the pace of overcoming the crisis through new strategies. 

Dr Rajendra Patankar, CEO Jupiter Hospital, Pune said, “Amidst all challenges, shortage of doctors has emerged as one of the biggest roadblocks in the making of a new healthcare ecosystem. Rural India accounts for about 70 per cent of the population yet it has less than one-third of the nation’s hospitals, doctors and beds, resulting in large disparities in health outcomes across States. Upgradation of district hospitals with a medical college on PPP model as envisaged by the government would go a long way to strengthen health infrastructure in the country.”

“The recent announcement of funding for short-term HR augmentation through medical students-interns, residents, final year and nursing students would help in strengthening the sector in managing the COVID crisis but for a long term solution, we need to restructure the medical education policy aligning it with the requirements of new age,” he added.

“For the safety of our doctors, protocols and guidelines have been put in place and every health institutions follow those guidelines and protocols in managing the patients. However, we need a robust safety mechanism in terms of PPEs and other equipment and comprehensive infection prevention systems,” said Dr Patankar.  

Experts are of the view that COVID-19 has made doctors learn, unlearn and relearn many things in their professional life. Prevention from infection, adoption of new technologies, and equipment are among such learnings. Going forward, the government and all healthcare stakeholders need to adopt new strategies for making our health systems effective in managing population health. With new strategies and rational policies, India needs to value the importance and sacrifices of doctors, they concluded.