Reverse brain drain: Parliamentary panel suggests portal for Indian doctors abroad to register, serve in India
New Delhi: A Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare has called for steps to encourage the reverse brain drain of Indian doctors. The panel noted that a large number of Indian doctors who have migrated abroad and are part of the Indian diaspora possess advanced skills and are willing to return to India to strengthen the country's medical workforce and provide advanced healthcare.
To utilise their expertise, the Committee suggested that the Government create a dedicated portal to allow these doctors living abroad, including retired senior doctors, to register and give them an opportunity to express their willingness to serve in India for a few months every year.
These recommendations were presented before the Parliament on August 7, 2026, by the Department-related Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare in its 176th report on Affordability and Accessibility of Healthcare facilities in Public and Private Sector.
In the report, the health panel stated that such doctors could be allowed to work in different parts of the country, preferably in their home states. Their professional experience and expertise could be utilised to provide advanced healthcare services in underserved areas and regions of the country.
Besides this, the panel noted that resident doctors working in different hospitals could also benefit from the experience and expertise of these senior doctors, helping them gain valuable professional knowledge in the larger public interest.
"The number of such doctors who have although retired but are skilled senior doctors living abroad; however, they are willing to serve the nation, provided those doctors are allowed to come and work in different parts of the country. The Committee, therefore, desires that such doctors may be given opportunity to register on the portal formed for the purpose and express their willingness in writing to serve the nation during the certain months of the year in different parts of the country, preferably in their home state, the benefits of their professional experience and expertise can be suitably utilized to ward off severe diseases in under served area/region of the country. Besides that, the resident doctors in different hospitals will get additional benefits of gaining their experience in general public interest. Therefore, the Committee recommends the Government to undertake necessary steps in this direction," the panel recommended.
