Bhubaneswar: Even as the Narendra Modi government gave a push for setting up of new medical colleges in Odisha leading to increase in MBBS seats to 2,525 from around 1250 in 2014, the doctor – population ratio in the State is still languishing behind WHO ratio of 1:1000.
Significantly, the national ratio of doctor to population stands better at 1: 811, far higher than WHO normal minimum standard ratio of 1:1000. Odisha ratio is yards away from the WHO norm. This shows Odisha need more medical colleges and intake capacity to meet the basic WHO norm.
2.8 K DOCS JOINED IN LAST 4 YEARS
As per the data available with Odisha Medical Council, the total number of registered doctors in the State had increased to 29,792, up by 2,868 from 26,924 in 2020. The acute shortage of doctors in Odisha was felt during the pandemic.
The acute shortage of doctors is crystal clear as to meet the WHO norm of 1doctor for 1000 population, Odisha needs a massive 46,663 doctors as on year 2024. However, the total doctors registered with OMC stood at mere 29.79K. Moreover, if 80% of the registered doctors are assumed to be working now then the doctor population in the State further slips to 23, 834.
And the working doctor to population ratio in the State then further slips to 1:1957, nearly double of the WHO minimum norm.
MORE ALARMING DETAILS
The ratio of population to government doctors in Odisha looks very alarming. Given that the strength of government doctors are not even one-fifth of the registered doctors in the State, the population proportion to doctors stood at 1 doctor per massive 9,761 persons.
And the population per PHC doctor is more yawning. The ratio has been estimated at 1 PHC doctor per a humungous 45,773.
How Odisha came to such a pass can be ascertained from a comparison below with a small state like Assam.
ODISHA VS ASSAM
Assam with a population of over 3.6 crores (36,159,000) has a total of 25,980 doctors, up 1,020 from 2020.
Odisha with a population of over 4.6 crores (46,663,000) had only 29,792 registered doctors, up 2,868 from 2020 level.
However, the active registered doctors in Assam stood at around 20,784. And in Odisha, the number stood at around 23, 834.
The outcome on the doctor to population ratio at the end of the year 2024 in Odisha will be 1:1957; the ratio in Assam will be 1:1739.
Odisha gaining good lead over Assam in 2024 is attributed to the pace with which the new medical colleges have come in Odisha in the last 5 years courtesy Modi govt’s new scheme, the ratio of doctor to population in Odisha has improved greatly in 2024 from around 1 doctor per 2,187 persons in 2020.
MEDICAL COLLEGES
The doctor strength in a State is directly proportional to the intake capacity of the medical colleges therein. The poor doctor show despite push up in last 5-years is blamed at low density of medical colleges in the State earlier.
Sample check the following facts.
- ODISHA VS ASSAM
In year 2017-18, Assam had 6 medical colleges with an intake capacity of 726. Odisha had 10 medical colleges (4 more) with an intake capacity of 1450. Assam state size is much smaller than Odisha.
Post the push by Modi government, the number of medical colleges in Odisha has risen to 17 in 2023-24, and the seats took a quantum jump to 2,525.
Assam currently has 13 medical colleges with an intake capacity of 1550.
Since Odisha population is over 1 crore more than Assam, the difference between new medical seats created in Odisha and Assam in 2024 stood at 975 (nearly 1000) from 724 in 2017-18.
- ODISHA VS ANDHRA PRADESH
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has a population of 26,690,000. Now sample the number of med colleges AP has.
Andhra Pradesh now has 37 medical colleges with an intake capacity of 6,435. The number of doctors registered with Andhra Pradesh Medical Council stood at 1.05 lakh. If 60% of the doctors are assumed to be working in the State of Andhra Pradesh, post Telangana formation, the working doctors in AP then stands at a whopping 63,483.
The doctor population ratio in Andhra Pradesh in 2024 stands at 1:420.
The above ratio shows Andhra Pradesh has 1 doctor for every 420 population, when Odisha has 1 doctor for a massive 1,957 populace.
WILL ODISHA ACCOMPLISH WHO NORM BY 2036?
The State of Odisha is going to going to celebrate 100 years of its formation in 2036. The moot point here is will the State meet the WHO norm by then?
An analysis shows in order to achieve the WHO norm by 2036, Odisha needs another 19,105 additional doctors by 2036. The current rate of intake in the State stood at 2,525. At this rate Odisha could accomplish the WHO norm by 2031. But the State cannot meet the national doctor population ratio of 1:811, let aside the ratio of Andhra Pradesh.
