Shortage Of Paramedical Work Force In India

Despite the Indian Government adopting measures to bridge the skill gap in this sector, the shortage of paramedical workforce in India remains ubiquitous. The growing number of hospitals in the country are complaining about the manpower crunch in the healthcare sector. A study by the Public Health Foundation of India in 2012 stated that India faced a shortage of 1.27 lakh optometrists and ophthalmologists, 8.5 lakh anaesthetists, 61,000 medical laboratory technicians, 18 lakh rehabilitation specialists, 7400 speech-language specialists and audiologists, 19,000 radiographers and about 2.3 lakh medical technology workers.

The looming crisis is the consequence of inadequate infrastructure and staff. When students step into the professional world, they get hit by the lack of clinical experience during graduation. Several private colleges are established without proper infrastructure and the limited number of seats against a cut-throat competition in government colleges leaves students with no choice but to go for private colleges. It is essential for the future of Paramedical education in India that both the private and public sectors join hands to better the availability of skilled and efficient manpower in the sector.