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ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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Year : 2014 | Volume
: 9
| Issue : 2 | Page : 67-69 |
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Health manpower loss and its impact on a developing country: An Indian study
A Pakkala1, AL Bajentri2, CP Ganashree3, T Raghavendra4
1 Department of Physiology, PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kuppam, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 Department of Physiology, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli, India 3 Department of Physiology, Basaveshwara Medical College, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India 4 Department of Anesthesiology, Basaveshwara Medical College, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India
Date of Web Publication | 19-Aug-2014 |
Correspondence Address: A Pakkala Department of Physiology, PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kuppam, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh India
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/9783-1230.139165
Health manpower is an important aspect of health care services. Like most of the countries in the world our country lacks resources for health care, hence the need for proper allocation and efficient utilization. There is no policy on health manpower or materials provided in the National Health Policy. In the absence of this there is nothing in the policy to prevent brain drain of doctors trained on public money. As a developing country, we can ill afford to have the dubious distinction of Indian doctors accounting for highest Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates certifications and verification of credentials. The government should urgently address the need for arresting the trend of brain drain among Indian doctors Keywords: Educational commission for foreign medical graduates, health manpower, National health policy
How to cite this article: Pakkala A, Bajentri A L, Ganashree C P, Raghavendra T. Health manpower loss and its impact on a developing country: An Indian study. J Med Investig Pract 2014;9:67-9 |
How to cite this URL: Pakkala A, Bajentri A L, Ganashree C P, Raghavendra T. Health manpower loss and its impact on a developing country: An Indian study. J Med Investig Pract [serial online] 2014 [cited 2018 Aug 24];9:67-9. Available from: http://www.jomip.org/text.asp?2014/9/2/67/139165 |
Introduction | | |
For any country socioeconomic development is largely dependent on the health status of its citizens. Human health and well-being form the end goal of development. Considering the variables that are frequently used to measure health as of today India does not present a rosy picture as shown in [Table 1].
In September 2002, representatives from 189 countries adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration, which lists the goals in the area of development and poverty eradication. These are popularly known as "Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)." The goals are listed in [Table 2]. These goals are meant to assist in the development of national policies-related to health programs. Governments have set a date of 2015 to meet these MDGs. [2],[3]
Health manpower is an important aspect of health care services. Like most of the countries in the world our country lacks resources for health care; hence, the need for proper allocation and efficient utilization. India is producing annually, an average of 26,449 allopathic doctors. [4] The ratio of doctor per 1000 population in India is 0.7 as against a suggested norm of 1/3500 population. The number of doctors working in rural India in primary health centers as on March 2007 is 22,608. [5],[6],[7]
Our financial resources are considered to be inadequate to furnish a National Health Service. Approximately, 80% of health facilities are concentrated in urban areas. The rural areas where nearly 72% of the population lives do not enjoy adequate health facilities. [1]
A new National Health Policy was evolved in 2002 with an objective to achieve an acceptable standard of good health among the general population of the country. [8] The goals are listed in [Table 3].
On review of this National Health Policy 2002, it is clear that there is no policy on health manpower or materials provided. In the absence of this there is nothing in the policy to prevent brain drain of doctors trained on public money.
A study of the 2008 Annual Report of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which is the US agency for assessment of international medical graduates ready to enter US graduate medical education programs, reveals the extent of the trend among Indian doctors to go abroad. Aggregate data from the last 25 years reveal that the top five countries of medical schools for applicants achieving certification have been India, Pakistan, Philippines, Grenada, and China as shown in [Table 4]. [9]
Graph 1 shows top five countries of medical school certificates based on aggregate data over 25 years period.
Graph 2 shows top five countries of citizenship of certificates based on aggregate data over 25 years period.
Indian medical graduates also account for a major share of Federation Credentials Verification Services with >1000 completed requests of the 3132 requests in 2007 and 4851 requests in 2008 received world over by the ECFMG. [9]
Conclusion | | |
Whenever the Government of India revisits its National Health Policy it is imperative that unrealistic goals and targets, which are enlisted in previous policies, be restricted. Adequate and practical measures need to be undertaken to arrest the trend of brain drain of Indian medical graduates, especially those trained on public money.
References | | |
1. | Park K. Park's Text Book of Preventive and Social Medicine. 20 th ed. Jabalpur: Banarsidas Bhanot; 2009. |
2. | UNDP Human Development Report 2003, Millennium Development Goals: A Compact among Nations to End Human Poverty. Geneva: United Nations Publications; 2003. |
3. | WHO. The World Health Report 2003, Shaping the future. Geneva: United Nations Publications; 2003. |
4. | Govt. of India. Eleventh Five Year Plan. 2007-2012. Vol. 2. New Delhi: Planning Commission; 2007. |
5. | Govt. of India. Annual Report 2007-08. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; 2008. |
6. | Govt. of India. Annual Report 2005-06. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; 2006. |
7. | Govt. of India Bulletin on Rural Health Statistics in India. New Delhi: DGHS; 2007. |
8. | Govt. of India. National Health Policy 2002. New Delhi: Dept. of Health, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; 2002. |
9. | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. 2008, Annual Report. PA, USA: ECFMG; 2009. |
[Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4]
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