India is expanding its medical, nursing and allied healthcare workforce to widen access to specialised care in rural, tribal and other underserved regions.
The government has more than doubled the number of medical colleges from 387 in 2014 to 858 in 2026, a rise of 121.71%. Over the same period, MBBS seats have grown from 51,348 to 1,42,464, up 177.45%, while postgraduate medical seats have risen from 31,185 to 86,287, an increase of 176.69%. The government is targeting a further 10,000 postgraduate seats by 2028-29, with priority for underserved areas and shortage specialities including emergency medicine, geriatrics, psychiatry and family medicine.
The scale-up was set out by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda at the Ministerial Roundtable on “Human Resources for Health: Equity in Specialized Care” at the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Timor-Leste. Nadda said equitable access to specialised healthcare is integral to achieving Universal Health Coverage, and that strengthening it requires a comprehensive approach spanning education, training, deployment, retention and continuing professional development.
Nursing capacity is being widened through 157 new nursing colleges set up alongside existing medical colleges. Nurse Practitioner programmes have been introduced in 10 critical specialities under the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Act, 2023. On allied roles, the government has announced the creation of 1,00,000 allied and healthcare professionals over five years, backed by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021, which brings 57 professions within a structured regulatory framework.
At the session, member states adopted the Dili Declaration on Human Resources for Health, which calls for addressing workforce shortages and maldistribution in rural and underserved areas while strengthening specialist outreach, teleconsultation and referral systems. India is using digital platforms such as eSanjeevani and ABHA-enabled health records to support teleconsultations and referrals across geographical barriers.
