Demand for Indian healthcare professionals to rise significantly by 2030: Report

Report shows that the global shortage of healthcare workers has spurred a significant increase in demand for Indian healthcare professionals, who are highly esteemed in the international market for their sought-after skills.

New Delhi: Indian healthcare professionals are set to see a 100 per cent rise in the country and a two-fold demand worldwide by 2030, finds a report on Friday.

The report, NLB Services, a global technology, and digital talent solutions provider, showed that the global shortage of healthcare workers has spurred a significant increase in demand for Indian healthcare professionals, who are highly esteemed in the international market for their sought-after skills.

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The report noted that India, with the largest number of medical colleges worldwide, stands out as one of the primary exporters of healthcare workers to developed nations such as Europe, the Gulf region, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel.

NLB Services also reported witnessing a 15 per cent growth in demand for Indian nurses across markets like Norway, Germany, Austria, etc, while their demand in the UK and UAE has jumped by 12-15 per cent in the last 2-3 years.

In addition, Japan and New Zealand have emerged as new destinations for Indian nurses and doctors.

“India is emerging as a significant source of exportable healthcare talent, particularly for Europe and the Gulf region. To address global talent shortages, there’s a growing focus on cross-skilling initiatives. This ensures Indian nurses especially are equipped with the necessary skills and qualifications to meet the specific healthcare requirements of different countries,” said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services.

“We’re seeing a surge in demand from countries like Malaysia, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and Germany. The nursing talent pool is expected to grow exponentially in the next five years, with estimates suggesting a 100-fold increase,” he added.

In India, their demand has been steadily increasing owing to population growth, demographic shifts, and the rise of non-communicable diseases.

From 2021 to 2023 jobs within the healthcare sector in India saw a nearly 22 per cent increase. Bengaluru leads in the number of healthcare job opportunities followed by other major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Importantly, the report also showed a rise in healthcare jobs from tier II cities like Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi.

Further, Kerala stood out as a significant contributor to healthcare talent migration to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particularly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Gujarat is actively enhancing nursing education and training to meet global demands.

A growing demand for home healthcare, including specialised services like physiotherapy, pain management, and chronic disease care, particularly, post Covid-19 pandemic, is also the reason behind the soaring demand.