Medical Sciences refers to the science of the preservation of health as well as the prevention and treatment of disease. It is mainly concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention of disease. From time immemorial, this field has been viewed as a prestigious profession. This is one arena where the possibility of researches and innovations are never ending. Therefore, it is one of the few professional streams where scope of stagnation is absent.
A profession that is known for its closest ties to altruism and selflessness, Medical Science garners great respect from the society. A noble profession, it is dedicated to the alleviation of human pain and suffering and prevention of diseases to promote a healthy lifestyle. No wonder, the profession is regarded both as an art and a science. The rapidly increasing health care centre, not only in India but also the world over has resulted in a huge demand for trained professionals in this field. Career prospects for trained doctors, nurses or specialists are, therefore, very good. Health care specialists including paramedical specialists and technicians, and educators are an important constituent in the ongoing betterment of societal health standards.
Trends and Industry Facts:
· Today the Indian Healthcare industry is estimated at $35 billion and is slated to grow $75 billion by 2013.
· To meet the burgeoning demand for healthcare professionals in the country, India is likely to need at least seven million more doctors.
· This is way ahead of retail which stands at 2million and IT enabled services at 5million.
· On the other hands, medical professionals will need to serve the medical needs of 1.2billion by 2015.
· 180 recognised medical colleges in India produce close to 27,000 graduates every year. Approximately, 24,000 doctors are registered with the Medical Council of India (MCI) in to practice every year. This, as is evident, is acutely short of the requirement (MCI annual report 2006-2007).
· Even by a conservative estimate, India lags behind 0.2million doctors and 0.5million nurses currently. This does not even include paramedical and administrative personnel.
· In spite of the need for doctors and the expected growth of the industry, India severely lacks well equipped training facilities even today.
· Lack of mandated standardization and regulation in the profession has resulted in over 90% of the healthcare being serviced by the unorganised sector.
State wise there is a big gap in the country between healthcare workers and population. In UP, the no. of doctors per lac population is 23 and the no. of nurses is 9.24. But in Kerala, the no. of doctor per lac population is 56.72 and 78.41 nurses.