Indian Paramedical Industry: Current Scenario
Insufficiency in the paramedical sector is a global phenomenon and has been one of the major concerns of India since independence. Even after decades of investment in the Indian Healthcare and Paramedical Industry, Health for All is still a slogan. Although one of the primary duties of the State is to raise the level of nutrition and improvement of public health (Article 47), only a limited section of the society can access the same. This is because of the dominance of the private healthcare and paramedical sector, and the absence of government-owned institutes.
Despite the fact that Indian healthcare and the paramedical industry is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors, there are various areas that need development. Today, India ranks 145 out of 195 countries as per the Healthcare Access & Quality Index. There are various reasons for the lag our healthcare system, such as the substandard conditions and funding of the healthcare facilities, absence of doctors and nurses, lack of skilled paramedical professionals, etc.
Tech Mahindra Foundation – Strengthening Indian Paramedical Industry
Understanding the current situation of the healthcare sector, Tech Mahindra Foundation is working to contribute towards the upliftment of the Indian Healthcare and Paramedical Industry. At present, there are three Tech Mahindra SMART Academies for Healthcare dedicated to skilling youth with paramedical skills along with soft and IT skills, and English language. Also, these Academies help students in providing them job assistance at various hospitals, laboratories, clinics, and nursing homes as paramedics or allied healthcare professionals. These SMART Academies for Healthcare are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. In the SMART Academies for Healthcare, equal importance is given to both theoretical knowledge and practical training modules. This helps in boosting the self-confidence of the paramedical aspirants. Till date, more than 1600 students have enrolled in the paramedical courses offered by Tech Mahindra SMART Academies for Healthcare.
The Tech Mahindra SMART Academies for Healthcare initiative is a ray of hope and has come up as a game changer for the paramedical industry of India. As mentioned above, there is a shortage of paramedics or allied healthcare workforce in India and according to a report published by Public Health Foundation of India, the healthcare system of the country still lacks 64 lakh, skilled paramedical professionals.
Indian Paramedical Industry: Career and Opportunities
Given the current scenario in India and the growth spurt promised in healthcare and paramedics, this sector has now a lot to offer to the paramedical aspirants. An India Health & Wellness Services report says that the Indian Healthcare Industry will increase to Rs. 8.6 trillion (133.44 billion USD) by the year 2022. Besides the growth in medical facilities and the number of paramedical and healthcare professionals, India has become one of the biggest countries to provide high-end diagnostic services mixed with advanced diagnostic facilities, which will ultimately cater to the larger population in the country. This is indeed a great time for paramedical aspirants to dive deep into the sector and leave a mark.
Students who are looking for a career in paramedics must understand that at present, demand for allied healthcare professionals is high. Once enrolled in a paramedic course of a healthcare or paramedic institute, students can easily get a job as a paramedic after completion of their courses at various hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and other healthcare institutes.
Government Initiatives and Paramedical Industry of India
Compared to other countries, healthcare treatments in India are affordable. As per a report by India Brand Equity Foundation, India is one of the favourite destinations for the investors in medical device and medical tourism. The report also states that at present, the Healthcare and Paramedical Industry of India is experiencing a growth rate of 22-25 percent, and it is expected to double in the coming years. These recent developments in the Indian Health and Wellness industry are due to the initiatives taken by the Government of India. Some of the policies and initiatives by Government of India are as follows (as per an India Services report) –
- The Make in India initiative to engage more investors and create job opportunities
- Approval of a budget of Rs. 85,217 crores (13.16 billion USD)from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2022 for National Health Mission. The main agendas of this mission are reducing child and mortality rate, universal access to affordable and quality healthcare services, stabilisation of population and healthy family lifestyle promotion.
- Setting up of Ministry of AYUSH to promote the Indian traditional Medicare and making it accessible, affordable and improving the quality
- Approval of National Health Policy 2017, to achieve universal health coverage and affordable quality of healthcare and paramedic services. Also, to make the situation better, especially for the Below the Poverty Line segment, the policy commits that the Government would spend 2.5% of the total GDP on healthcare by 2025.
Over the years, a very basic understanding has emerged. This is that investments in healthcare, paramedics and the redesigning of medical policies need to be addressed keeping in mind a strong collaboration of health and economy in a country. A classic example of this is the recent launch of Ayushman Bharat in India. This flagship program provided healthcare program to 6,00,000 people within the first 3 months of launch. Thus, it can be concluded that the government is making huge investments in order to uplift the healthcare status of the nation. Also, the government has collaborated with various private sector organizations to provide manpower to support and improve the healthcare and paramedical industry of India.
