India’s Healthcare Sector Faces Critical Gaps Despite Major Strides: Dr Raj Nagarkar

India’s healthcare sector has made notable progress through initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, AI-driven diagnostics, and vaccine success, says Dr Raj Nagarkar of HCG Manavata Cancer Centre. Yet, severe shortages in infrastructure and skilled professionals persist. While the doctor-patient ratio (1:834) meets WHO norms, rural disparities remain stark—some regions see ratios as poor as 1:10,000.

Despite over 700 medical colleges and the National Digital Health Mission, access and affordability issues continue. Around 55 million Indians are pushed into poverty annually due to healthcare costs. Rural healthcare remains neglected, with PHCs lacking full-time doctors and telemedicine limited by poor internet.

Dr Nagarkar stresses urgent reforms: increase public health spending to 3% of GDP, invest in training allied health workers, adopt scalable tech like Qure.ai’s AI tools, and regulate private healthcare pricing to ensure equitable, quality care for all.

08-07-2025