Widely quoted WHO norm of 1 doctor per 1,000 people is not official, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• The Indian government has been citing a WHO benchmark of 1 doctor per 1,000 people, which the WHO clarifies is not an official standard.
• Government replies in 2015 and 2024 used the 1:1,000 ratio to assess doctor availability in India, including AYUSH practitioners to meet the benchmark.
• The WHO states that health worker population ratios should be based on a country’s specific health labour market dynamics and needs.
• India ranks 118 out of 181 countries with 0.7 doctors per 1,000 people and 122 out of 181 countries with a composite figure of 3.06 (doctors, nurses, and midwives) per 1,000 people.

Detailed Insights:

• The 1:1,000 doctor-population ratio was first referenced in the Medical Council of India’s ‘Vision 2015’ report in 2011, targeting this ratio by 2031.
• The WHO uses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) composite index threshold to monitor global health worker needs, with the latest benchmark being 4.45 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 population.
• Including AYUSH doctors in the calculation is seen as a way to reach the targeted ratio, which some experts view as a political move.
• Experts argue that India's main issue is the unequitable distribution of doctors, particularly the disparity between rural and urban areas, rather than the overall number of doctors.
• The government applied an 80% availability factor for allopathic doctors but not for AYUSH doctors when calculating the doctor-population ratio.

Key Concepts Involved:

• AYUSH: A system of traditional and non-conventional Indian medicine comprising Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy.
• SDG Composite Index: A benchmark used by the WHO to monitor global health worker needs, reflecting the number of skilled health workers required to achieve high coverage of essential health indicators.