SDG targets on maternal and child health and access of doctors in India. (15th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Potnuru, Basant
• Is Part Of: International journal of healthcare management. Volume 13(2020)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 414
• Page End: 421
• Publication Date: 2020-12-15
• Subjects: SDG targets -- health -- India -- doctors -- migration -- sustainable workforce; Health services administration -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Marketing -- Periodicals; 362.1068
• DOI: 10.1080/20479700.2018.1563266
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2047-9700

Abstract

ABSTRACT: There is an acute shortage of doctors in India, especially in rural areas. It does not even meet WHO's 2008 benchmark of a minimum requirement of 25 healthcare professionals per 10, 000 population. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set ambitious targets on maternal and child health and 'health for all' by 2030. The paper aims to critically examine the current and required capacities of training and distribution of doctors in the country to ensure meeting SDGs on maternal and child health and 'health for all' objective by 2030. The study used a simple regression model using the WHO data on 161 countries to estimate the coefficients of the density of physicians, nurses and mid-wives, pharmacists and the percent of child-births attended by skilled health personnel impacting maternal mortality, infant mortality and under-five mortality respectively. The estimated coefficients are used to conjecture the required densities of the above health workers for meeting the SDGs on maternal and child health in India. It is found that to achieve the desired SDG targets, India needs to double its densities of physicians and pharmacists and enhance the childbirths attended by skilled health workers to 100 percent from the current levels by 2030. It also suggests that India needs alternative allopathic practitioners, apart from doctors, mainly for rural areas to ensure 'health for all'.