Need more hospital beds, doctors to achieve healthcare vision 2047: Report

India is on the brink of a healthcare transformation, aiming to significantly bolster its medical infrastructure and workforce by 2047. As the nation strides towards a future where every citizen has access to quality healthcare, a comprehensive strategy has been laid out to bridge the gap between current capacities and future needs.

A FICCI-EY report titled 'Decoding India's Healthcare Landscape' emphasizes the need to significantly increase the number of qualified doctors and hospital beds to achieve India's healthcare vision for 2047. The report calls for more than 50 lakh doctors and an additional 30 lakh hospital beds to bring India's healthcare infrastructure closer to the standards of developed countries. It highlights the substantial growth in medical education, noting the increase in registered allopathic doctors from 6,60,801 in 2005 to 13,08,009 in 2022, and the rise in government hospital bed capacity from 4.7 lakh in 2005 to 8.5 lakh in 2021. The report also underscores the importance of achieving 100% health insurance coverage for the population and the need to establish a medical college in every district. Furthermore, it projects that the Indian pharmaceutical industry's total market size will reach USD 130 billion by 2030, with India currently ranking third globally in pharmaceutical production by volume, known for its generic medicines and low-cost vaccines. These enhancements in healthcare professionals, infrastructure, and industry are crucial for advancing India's healthcare system towards its 2047 vision.