India's allied health professionals strength is 5 per cent of demand: Harsh Vardhan

NEW DELHI: The strength of allied health professionals (AHP) in India is not even five per cent of the demand as there is a shortfall of around 64 lakh of them in various health cadres in the country, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Lok Sabha today.

Tabling a Public Health Foundation of India report, which put the supply of AHPs at 2,83,378 against the demand of 65.48 lakh in 2012, Vardhan said the government has decided to establish one National Institute of Paramedical Sciences in Delhi and eight regional institutes across the country to overcome the shortage.

"The scheme aims at augmenting the supply of skilled paramedical manpower and promoting quality of paramedical training through standardisation of such education and courses across the country," he informed the House.