India’s healthcare delivery system comprises Allied and Healthcare Professionals (AHP), which makes a significant contribution. They are the frontline warriors during any health crisis and provide a range of preventive, diagnostic, technical, therapeutic, rehabilitative, and curative services. This sector is highly fragmented in India, despite massive demand for their services. This is mainly due to the absence of a central regulatory authority.
Although efforts were made to define and regulate AHPs’ role in the healthcare delivery system, due to the lack of role clarity and its unregulated nature, there always has been a tacit resistance by the medical fraternity.
There has been a recent effort in acknowledging the importance of AHP in the healthcare delivery system by introducing a bill “Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018” in the Rajya Sabha on Jan 31, 2020, and placing it to the table of Lok Sabha on the same date.
If this bill is enacted as an Act and executed in its letter and spirit, it has the potential to create several benefits.
Impact on Healthcare Delivery System
India faces different challenges to meet the healthcare needs of its growing population. First, if the scarcity of financial resources and second is the shortage of human resources at all healthcare levels.
As estimated in the National Health Policy 2017, India should increase its health expenditure as a percentage of the GDP from the existing 1.15 percent to 2.5 percent by 2025. To improve the reach of quality health services to its vast population, India also needs a coordinated effort among doctors, nurses, AHPs, and frontline healthcare workers. India needs multi-disciplinary team-based care than a system only driven by doctors and nurses to have a robust healthcare delivery.
By investing in creating a strong cadre of AHPs, India can play a vital role in realizing the new vision and will prepare us for a better response in case of any unforeseen health crisis.
Impact on Job Creation
India will create 10 million jobs, mostly in the new health sectors, by 2030. If we consider India’s vast population, one can realize the discrepancy in the current availability of healthcare workers in India on the one hand and the vast space that remained to be filled by healthcare workers on the other hand. As per the PHFI Report, 2012, there was a shortage of 64 lakh AHPs in India.
If we combine both existing gaps and arising opportunities that will produce millions of jobs for AHPs in the coming decade, India can invest in capacity building and training of AHPs at par with global standards to reap the benefit.
Impact on Women Labor Force Participation Rate
Women in India are at a historic low at 23.3 per cent in LFPR. There have been challenges for women to work in various sectors, but the nature of AHP job roles are women-friendly. In the healthcare sector, out of total health workers, 38 percent are female and female accounts 83.4 per cent in the nurses & midwives category. This support to the women by providing them training, jobs, and security will ensure their empowerment and their contribution to India’s economic system.
Impact on Training Quality
In the current bill, the standardization of AHP training programmes is a primary improvement area. To prepare Indian youth to be not only ready for national jobs but also for international requirements, it is encouraging to see that AHPs are being provided certified training. The training has been raised in quality by arranging on the job training, establishing a world-class skill lab for job simulation, and giving extra input on “core employability skills” such as soft skills, communication skills, interview facing skills other than the technical training to make trainees job-ready.
By introducing the Allied & Healthcare Professions Act and investing in creating quality AHPs, we will create healthcare access and quality care on the one hand and, on the other, a formally skilled and strong cadre of AHPs.
