“We’re seeing a surge in demand for healthcare professionals within the country as well as from countries like Malaysia, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and Germany. We expect demand for Indian healthcare professionals to double nationally and globally by 2030,” he added.
There has been a steady increase in demand for healthcare professionals in India as well as globally since Covid-19 owing to growing population, demographic shifts, and the rise of non-communicable diseases, Alug said.
Currently, there are over three million registered nurses in India which means there are only 1.7 nurses per 1,000 people in the country, he noted.
“Whereas according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) it should be three nurses per 1,000 people. Similarly, the doctor-to-patient ratio in India (approximately 1:1,500) falls short of WHO (1:1,000) recommendations, especially in rural areas, posing significant challenges in delivering healthcare services efficiently nationwide,” he noted.
Similarly, with the largest number of medical colleges worldwide, India stands out as one of the primary exporters of healthcare workers to developed nations such as Europe, the Gulf region, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel, said Alug. “Japan and New Zealand have also emerged as new destinations for Indian nurses and doctors. We are witnessing 15 per cent growth in demand for Indian nurses across markets like Norway, Germany, Austria, among others,” he added. Alug said there is a growing focus on cross-skilling initiatives, which ensures Indian nurses to be especially equipped with the necessary skills and qualifications to meet the specific healthcare requirements of different countries.
He said adoption of technologies is driving growth across various sectors globally, including healthcare, which has emerged with a growing demand for home healthcare, including specialised services like physiotherapy, pain management, and chronic disease care.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the uptake of home healthcare services as a means to minimise exposure and alleviate the strain on healthcare facilities, Alug further noted.
“This experience has led to wider acceptance and integration of remote care solutions. Similarly, while telemedicine in India is not a new concept, its importance and necessity became more evident during the pandemic.
“The major drivers of demand for telemedicine in India was Covid-19, increased mobile and internet penetration, supportive government policies, advanced technologies, and convenience. This space alone is expected to drive the demand for Indian healthcare professionals by 18-20 per cent in the next 2-3 years,” he said.
When asked about availability of sufficient skills within the healthcare profession given the high demand both globally and nationally, he said apart from academia, training and upskilling opportunities are made available by healthcare giants.
“However, in terms of meeting the demand for skilling initiatives, we still have a long way to go,” Alug added.
