The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced a major push to expand India’s medical, nursing and allied healthcare workforce at the 79th WHO Regional Committee session in Timor-Leste. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda outlined plans to boost specialist healthcare access in rural, tribal and underserved areas across the country and the South-East Asia region.
What India is doing
Since 2014, India has more than doubled its medical colleges from 387 to 858. This expansion has led to sharp increases in seats: MBBS undergraduate seats rose from 51,348 to 1,42,464, while postgraduate seats grew from 31,185 to 86,287.
The government is targeting 10,000 additional postgraduate seats by 2028-29, with focus on shortage specialities including Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, Psychiatry and Family Medicine. Alongside this, 157 new nursing colleges are being set up alongside existing medical colleges to produce roughly 15,700 nursing graduates per year. Nurse Practitioner Programmes have started in 10 critical specialities under the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Act, 2023.
A broader initiative aims to create 1,00,000 allied and healthcare professionals over five years. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 now regulates 57 different allied and healthcare professions.
To keep specialists in difficult areas, India is using competitive pay, allowances for remote postings, performance incentives and fixed-term contracts. Digital platforms like eSanjeevani and ABHA-enabled health records help deliver teleconsultation and specialist services to remote populations. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide primary healthcare screening and referral, while Ayushman Arogya Shivirs bring specialist consultations to underserved communities.
Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region adopted the Dili Declaration on Human Resources for Health, committing to address health workforce shortages and ensure specialist care reaches rural and remote areas.
What this means for you
If you live in a village or tribal area, more doctors, nurses and specialists will gradually become available through new colleges and outreach programmes. If you cannot travel to cities for specialist care, digital health services and visiting specialist teams may bring consultations closer to home. The expansion of nursing and allied health roles means more job opportunities in healthcare across underserved districts.