The National Educational Policy (NEP) is out with sweeping policy changes in the right direction. However very little is said about reforming allopathic medical education as such. The document only alludes to integrating the various systems of AYUSH and allopathy. Yet this could be the opportune time to revamp modern medicine too. While the number of doctors per 1000 population is 3 in the UK, it is 0.8 in India. This is in spite of about 76,000 allopathic doctors passing out of the medical colleges every year!
The health scenario is made worse by the paradox of a glut of doctors in the urban areas. Almost 80% of doctors are concentrated in urban areas serving about 20 % of the population. And most of these urban doctors are ‘specialists’. Added to this is the problem of unemployment and underemployment among doctors. After graduation, most of the medicos do not practice their newly…
