Over 250,000 health related human resources needed in eight years: MEC report

The Medical Education Commission (MEC) has estimated that more than 250,000 human resources related to the health sector would be necessary till fiscal year 2087/88. The MEC made this projection on the basis of a study based on fiscal year 2077/78 BS.

A total of 358,938 human resources related to health including female health volunteers and office assistants in government and private health institutions within the period would be needed, said the Commission. Of them, 257,091 would be doctors and health workers.

Vice-Chairperson of the Commission, Prof Dr Sri Krishna Giri, said that such a large number of human resources in the health sector was estimated based on the human resource to be retired and going abroad during the period as well as basic health institutions the government has been constructing.

As per the World Health Organization, it is considered good to have minimum 4.45 health workers per 1,000 populations.

A total of 234,361 human resources were needed in health institutions in fiscal year 2077/78 BS, only 178,309 human resources were working during the period.

The Commission projected that 16,784 MBBS doctors, 15,435 specialist consultants (MD) and 411 nursing professionals are needed till 2088 BS.

Similarly, 3,359 Nursing Assistants (Bachelor level), 88024 Nursing and Obstetrics Assistants (Certificate level), 2,083 Traditional and Alternative Medicine professionals (Bachelor’s and Master’s level), 2,118 Traditional and Assistant Physicians Technical (Certificate level) will be required.

Likewise, 2,688 human resources related to other health professions (Master’s level), 23, 150 human resources (Bachelor’s level) in the other health related auxiliary professions and 104, 39 human resources (Certificate level) in the other health related auxiliary professions have to be produced till that period.

The MEC stated that 57, 043 Female Community Health Volunteers and office assistants, 44, 800 cleaning staff and drivers would be required. The Council said 245, 463 medical workforce, 54, 463 female health volunteers and 42, 777 office assistants, sanitary staff and drivers will be needed in 2083 BS.

According to the MEC report, 7,659 medical human resources in the Bachelor’s level, 1,684 in the Master’s level and 109 in the higher than Master’s level would be produced this year. Similarly, 12. 102 health workers would be produced in 11 medium and basic level subjects including nursing, general medicine, dental science, ayurvedic health science, physiotherapy, pharmacy, among others.

10, 139 health facilities, including 7,889 government hospitals, the basic hospitals the government is constructing at local level included and 2,250 hospitals in the private sector are in operation throughout the country at present.