An annual publication titled "Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure and Human Resources) 2022-23" was released by Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary. On this occasion, other dignitaries present were Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional. Secretary and Mission Director (NHM), Health Ministry, and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry.
Revisiting the past, the document was previously known as “Rural Health Statistics” and has been in action since 1992. The purpose of this publication since its establishment in 1992 has been to provide detailed annual data by 31st March of every year about health infrastructure and human resources. The data presents a clear and current state of the health infrastructure and human resources by which various stakeholders can plan, maintain, and develop the health infrastructure across the country. The data can also be used to address the needs of the rural, urban, and tribal regions.
The publication serves as a reliable and authentic source of information on various aspects of the national health mission and a tool to recognize the gaps and meet requirements in rural, urban, and tribal regions.
The publication is divided into two parts. The first part uses visual aids like maps and charts to give an idea of India's healthcare system with state and union territory profiles. The second part is divided into nine sections, which provide detailed information on health facilities, manpower, and demographic indicators.
The publication's salient characteristics are:
Comparative analysis: to determine the progress of manpower and healthcare facilities, data can be compared from the previous year to the current year.
Classification of states/UTs: based on the performance, states and UTs are categorized
District-wise data: complete details of sub-centers (SCs), primary health centers (PHCs), community health centers (CHCs), sub-district hospitals (SDHs), district hospitals (DHs), and medical colleges (MCs).
Rural, urban, and tribal regions: details of healthcare facilities and manpower
Inputs to stakeholders: to identify the gaps in healthcare facilities and manpower and develop policies
The information from the publication allows the planners to make sure that
The healthcare facilities and resources are sufficiently allocated.
Formulate strategies needed to maximize the delivery of healthcare services and
The data serves as a blueprint to determine the needs of healthcare services in different regions.
As per the publication in March 2023, the country, including both urban and rural regions, has
1,69,615 Sub-Centres (SCs),
31,882 Primary Health Centres (PHCs),
6,359 Community Health Centres (CHCs),
1,340 Sub-Divisional/District Hospitals (SDHs),
714 District Hospitals (DHs), and
362 Medical Colleges (MCs)
The healthcare facilities are backed by
2,39,911 health workers (male + female) at SCs,
40,583 doctors/medical officers at PHCs,
26,280 specialists and medical officers at CHCs,
45,027 doctors and specialists at SDHs and DHs,
47,932 staff nurses at PHCs,
51,059 nursing staff at CHCs, and
1,35,793 Paramedical Staff
During the event, Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary, said, “The annual publication is a valuable document furnishing much-needed information on manpower and infrastructure within NHM, helpful in policy-making, improving processes, and problem-solving." He further said that the data will help determine the needs of the states, which will in turn help in formulating policies, developing strategies, and identifying the adequacies of manpower and other resources. Apart from this, he also mentioned that the data can be used to compare the performance of various states.
He also highlighted the point “need to integrate the Health Management Information System (HMIS) Portal with Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) and other portals of the Ministry to reduce the burden of work of health functionaries and to ensure that the data are uploaded timely and analyzed carefully.”
Input from various sources
(Rehash/Dr. Siddiqua Parveen/MSM)