Huge Lags in Medical Education

Healthcare has always been a neglected aspect of the Indian economy. The relatively small size of the health sector, the meagre government spending on providing healthcare services, and the huge shortage of the health personnel all point to major governmental failure. The availability of adequate health personnel is especially crucial as a quality workforce can not only ensure greater economic stability and security but also boost both inclusive growth and the overall employment creation.

However, successive governments have generally ignored these problems. Even the pandemic failed to trigger any major government interventions in the health sector. Supply-side issues like the non-availability of skilled workforce, especially doctors, continue to be neglected. Vested interests have successfully sabotaged all state interventions necessary for the expansion of medical education. This is a major reason why tens of thousands of students are forced to take up admission in medical colleges abroad every year. However, the outbreak of the pandemic in China and the war in Ukraine have now forced thousands of medical students in these countries to flee back home, thus jeopardising their education.