Health Ministry has set up a task force to deliberate the proposal of setting up a National Council for Human Resources in Health as an over-arching regulatory body for the health sector to reform the current regulatory framework and enhance supply of skilled personnel.

The task force, headed by health secretary, was formed to consult the stakeholders and prepare the report. The panel is expected to submit the recommendations to the ministry in the coming week. The initiative is made in the wake of different assessments about shortage of healthcare professionals and the shortcomings in the present regulatory framework. The existing councils like the Medical Council of India, the Dental Council of India, the Nursing Council and those for Indian systems of medicines would be brought under the proposed regulatory body, sources said.

The idea of a separate council for education in health was announced in the address of the President to the joint session of the Parliament and later the health ministry included the same as part of its 100-day action plan. It is one of the proposals with the ministry as part of its medium and long term policy to tackle the acute shortage of specialized doctors and trained para-medics in the country.

Meanwhile, as per the latest figures with the Medical Council, the total number of registered allopathic doctors in the country is 7, 33, 617. Thus the percentage of allopathic doctor in proportion to population at present works out to 0.06 per cent approximately and the allopathic doctors-population ratio works out to 1:1584 approximately. In addition, there are more than six lakh practitioners of Indian system of medicine and homoeopathy. Taking all these number together, the percentage of doctors with respect to population is 0.11 per cent and the doctor- population ratio comes to 1:860 approximately.

Currently, there are 299 medical colleges in the country for teaching modern system of medicine with annual intake of 35, 152 who add up to the existing medical manpower. However, the doctor-population ratio in the country is far below the desired levels, as per the observers.