Telangana records lowest health worker density in South India, NHP data reveals serious care gap

Telangana has the lowest healthcare worker-to-population ratio in South India, according to the National Health Profile. The State faces a 27 per cent shortfall, with significant vacancies in doctors, nurses and support staff, raising concerns over rural healthcare delivery.

Hyderabad: Telangana is facing a serious challenge in public health, with the National Health Profile (NHP), released recently by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), indicating that the State has the lowest healthcare worker-to-population ratio among all South Indian states.

Overall, across the country, Telangana continues to struggle as it has a 27 percent shortfall in the density of health workers, compared to the national average, National Health Profile (NHP), has indicated. While Telangana has approximately 30 health workers per 10,000 population, the national average, according to the latest consolidated NHP/NITI reports, is 49.5.

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The health workforce density of 30 percent in Telangana, is below the WHO benchmark of 44.5 required to provide universal health coverage. In contrast, other regional Indian States like Kerala (144), Andhra Pradesh (107), and Tamil Nadu (86) have maintained ratios that far exceed the national average and global minimums.

While the shortage of doctors is a frequent headline, the NHP data highlights a more structural imbalance in availability of ‘support’ staff. The Doctor-to-Nurse ratio in Telangana remains skewed at 1:1.3, whereas the standard healthcare delivery model suggests a 1:3 ratio for ideal patient care. Telangana has only 130 nurses, whereas it should ideally have 300 to ensure adequate patient care.

Moreover, the Rural Health Statistics (RHS) data within the NHP reveals that all the sanctioned posts for various kinds of auxiliary roles in government hospitals have not been filled, creating a major public health crisis.

All government hospitals in Telangana face a 15 percent to 20 percent vacancy rate in Lab Technicians and Pharmacists posts. In Community Health Centres (CHCs), where surgeons and pediatricians require specialized nursing assistants, the vacancy rate for paramedical staff exceeds 25 percent in several districts.

The NHP study, which also came-up with Population Projections for 2011–2036 and possible impact, warns that the workforce deficit has the potential to cripple and trigger major crises in government hospitals.

Telangana’s population is projected to reach approximately 3.84 crore by 2026, with a sharp rise in the over 60 age group. As the state undergoes a demographic shift toward an aging population, the current deficit in all-category healthcare workers poses a risk to the management of chronic and non-communicable diseases, public health officials said.

With nearly 47.6 percent of the state urbanized, the concentration of existing workers in urban pockets like Hyderabad is causing a major drop in resources available for the rural population. As a result, the peripheral health care infrastructure, hospitals etc are understaffed.

• TS has the lowest healthcare worker-to-population ratio among all South Indian States.
• Telangana has 30 healthcare workers for a population of 10, 000
• Nationally, there are 49.5 workers for a population of 10, 000
• 50 percent vacancy in specialist doctors (surgeons, physicians, pediatricians etc) in Community Health Centres
• Only 10 to 15 percent of CHCs in TS have full sanctioned quota of all four specialists
• Technicians and pharmacists vacant posts hover around 20 percent