India is already struggling with a poor nurse-to-population ratio, a problem that is expected to worsen due to the large-scale emigration of nurses to other countries, according to doctors and medical experts. This emigration trend creates a significant gap in meeting the country’s healthcare needs, the experts warned in a joint statement.
Dr. Girdhar Gyani, Director General of the Association of Healthcare Providers (India), highlighted that the country has over 33 lakh registered nursing personnel, which is insufficient for its 1.3 billion population. With only 1.96 nurses per 1,000 people, India falls short of the World Health Organization’s recommended rate of three nurses per 1,000 people. Dr. Shuchin Bajaj, Director of the Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, stressed the need for better training at home, especially with the rise of health tech, and noted the persistent challenges in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
Dr. Gyani also emphasized the importance of upskilling the existing nursing workforce to improve patient care, reduce healthcare costs, and increase nurse motivation. Dr. Rishi Raj Borah, Country Director at Orbis (India), pointed out the critical role of nurses in community education about eye health and disease prevention. By organizing educational initiatives and awareness campaigns, nurses can effectively promote healthy practices and contribute significantly to public health.
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