Doctor-Population Ratio In Country At 1:834: Health Minister

The doctor-population ratio in the country stands at 1:834 which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Lok Sabha on Friday.

As per the information provided by National Medical Commission (NMC), there are 13,08,009 allopathic doctors registered with the state medical councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on June, 2022, Mr Mandaviya said responding to a question.

"Assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors, the doctor-population ratio in the country is 1:834 which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000," he said.

Also, there are 34.33 lakh registered nursing personnel and 13 lakh allied and healthcare professionals in the country. The government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats, Mr Mandaviya stated.

There is an increase of 82 per cent in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 706 as of now.

Further, there is an increase of 112 per cent in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,08,940 as of now, there is also an increase of 127 per cent in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 70,674 as of now, the minister stated.

For increasing the number of psychiatrists in the country, PGMEB of the NMC issued the Minimum Standard of Requirements for Post-Graduate Courses - 2023 (PGMSR-2023) on January 15, Mr Mandaviya said responding to a question on whether the government plans to take steps such as training healthcare workers to properly address mental health issues.

"For starting or increase of seats in MD (psychiatry), PGMSR-2023 has brought down the number of OPD to 30 per day, for annual intake of maximum two PG students with 20 per cent increase for each additional seat.

Similarly, the minimum beds required per unit for starting MD (psychiatry) course with two seats in a medical college is eight beds and 12 beds for three seats and 20 beds for five seats," he said.

Under the tertiary care component of NMHP, 25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in PG departments in mental health specialities as well as to provide tertiary level treatment facilities, the minister stated.

Further, the government has also supported 19 government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PG departments in mental health specialties. Mental health services are also provisioned for 22 AIIMS through the psychiatry departments.

He said that mental health infrastructure development is being implemented across the primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities for implementing the measures detailed in National Mental Health Policy (NMHP) 2014.

As part of the NMHP, the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component has been sanctioned for implementation in 738 districts of the country, for which support is provided to states and Union Territories through the National Health Mission.

As per DMHP guidelines, one psychiatrist, one clinical psychologist, one psychiatric social worker, one psychiatric nurse, one community nurse, one monitoring and evaluation officer and case registry assistant and one ward assistant are the staff of the District Mental Health Programme Team, Mr Mandaviya elaborated.

Under the DMHP implemented under the National Mental Health Programme, the manpower is trained at various DMHP units. One of the components of DMHP is to provide training to specialist and non-specialist cadres such as medical officers, psychologists, social workers, and nurses.

The government is also augmenting the availability of manpower to deliver mental healthcare services in the underserved areas of the country by providing online training courses to various categories of general healthcare medical and para-medical professionals through the Digital Academies, since 2018.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi Metro Told To Set Up Panel To Probe Metro Wall Collapse Incident

The Delhi government on Thursday directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to constitute a committee of experts to look into the wall collapse incident at the Gokulpuri metro station that claimed the life of a man and left four others injured, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said.

A 53-year-old man died on Thursday when a portion of the Gokulpuri metro station on the Pink Line in northeast Delhi collapsed, police said. The man was on his scooter when he came under the debris of the collapsed wall of the elevated platform. "I have already told MD, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to constitute a committee of experts to examine the incident from all angles," Mr Gahlot told PTI.

Later in a post on X, he called the incident "deeply regrettable". "I've instructed @OfficialDMRC to form a Committee of Experts to investigate the matter, with a report due in two weeks, provide compensation  compensation within 24 hours and extend full support to the injured & their families for medical treatment," he said in the post.

Mr Gahlot said he has directed the DMRC to constitute a committee of experts which shall inquire into this incident and submit a report within two weeks. "The DMRC shall disburse ex-gratia compensation as per rules within 24 hours. All necessary assistance shall be extended to the injured people and their families to ensure proper medical treatment," read the order.

The DMRC announced Rs 25 lakh as compensation for the family of the man who died in the incident. The DMRC announced Rs 5 lakh for the grievously injured and Rs 1 lakh for those who received minor injuries, it stated. It also suspended two of its officials over the incident. 

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How Pet Dog Led Rescue Teams To Missing Tourists Who Died On Walking Trail

The police found the bodies of two people who died allegedly after slipping and falling in the snow in Himachal Pradesh's Billing Valley. A pet dog stood guard over them for almost two days, officials said.

The two tourists, including a woman, went missing on Sunday. The rescue teams searching for the two on Tuesday heard the barks of the German Shepherd, the police said.

On following the sound, they reached the bodies that were lying on the side of a walking trail, three kilometres below the take-off point for paragliders, they added.

For almost two days, the dog, named Alpha, guarded the bodies, which bore marks of attack by wild animals, according to the police.

When the rescue teams removed the bodies, the dog accompanied them to Bir on foot from where the man's family took him, the police said. The victims, identified as Abhinandan Gupta (30), a resident of Pathankot, and his friend Pranita Wala (26) from Pune, had arrived in Bir Billing, a famous paragliding destination in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, on Sunday afternoon.

The two came in a private car along with Mr Gupta's dog. After parking the car, they left on foot to the take-off point for paragliders.

When the two did not return to Chogan near Bir, their friends on Monday informed the police, following which a rescue team launched a search operation and recovered the bodies on Tuesday.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the man and the woman slipped in the snow, sustained injuries, and died due to extreme cold, Kangra ASP Veer Bahadur said.

The autopsy report will reveal the circumstances under which both the two died, he said.

Mr Gupta lived in a rented house near Chaugan in Bir for the last five years, while the girl came to Bir a few days ago, the police said.

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Akhilesh Yadav Gets Rahul Gandhi's Yatra Invitation, Says Will Attend

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday received invitation to join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which will enter Uttar Pradesh on February 16.

Yadav said he will join the yatra either in Amethi or Raebareli.

Akhilesh extended greetings to the Congress while accepting the invitation by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to join the yatra in its UP leg.

"Akhilesh Yadav has received an invitation of Mallikarjun Kharge to join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which enters UP on February 16. Yadav has given consent to join the yatra either in Amethi or Raebareli," the SP said in a statement.

Yadav said he expected that the Nyay Yatra would join the 'PDA' strategy of the Samajwadi Party while entering the state and take forward its agitation for "social justice and mutual harmony".

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"We'll See To It": Arvind Kejriwal On Police Notice Over Poaching Claims

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the Delhi Police Crime Branch's notice to him over his allegations that the BJP was attempting to "poach" AAP MLAs has no mention of any FIR and asserted that the country will not progress by such "theatrics".

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Mr Kejriwal said "we will see to it" when asked about his reply to the notice.

"There is only one party that is buying everyone. Those who toppled governments in Goa and Karnataka, poached NCP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra, and tried to destabilise Congress government in Rajasthan, also contacted our MLAs," he said.

Mr Kejriwal, who is also AAP convener, said that the Delhi Police officers were made to indulge in "theatrics" by their "political bosses", which was quite "insulting" for them.

"I pity those officers. Young officers join police with a lot of idealism that they will protect women and reduce crime. They never think that they will be made to indulge in theatrics. Is that why they joined the police? The officers must have been feeling bad. This insult was caused by their political bosses," he said.

A team of Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Sunday also visited Delhi minister Atishi's home over the MLA 'poaching' allegations and served her a notice. Mr Kejriwal received the notice on Saturday.

The two AAP leaders were asked to respond to the notice by Monday.

"They are asking who tried to poach AAP MLAs. The very people who are sending Crime Branch officers are those who tried to poach our MLAs," the chief minister added.

He alleged "authoritarianism" was prevailing in the country and governments were being overthrown by using the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Mr Kejriwal has skipped multiple ED summons in connection with excise policy linked money laundering case, alleging it was a BJP conspiracy to overthrow the AAP government in Delhi by putting him under arrest.

"No problem, we will give our answer," he said when asked about ED approaching a city court on his refusal to join the probe by the agency. The court has listed the matter for hearing on February 7.

Speaking about the political situation in Jharkhand, Mr Kejriwal said that the arrest of a "sitting chief minister was not right".

Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED last week in a money laundering case.

"Arresting a sitting chief minister was wrong. They waited for 48 hours to see whether the Jharkhand government would topple but JMM MLAs did not break. Whatever is happening in the country is not good for democracy," Mr Kejriwal said.

Jharkhand's JMM-led coalition government headed by Hemant Soren's successor Chief Minister Champai Soren won the vote of confidence in the state assembly on Monday.

In a post on X, Mr Kejriwal greeted JMM chief Hemant Soren and new Chief Minister of the state Champai Soren, saying they won the vote of confidence by demolishing the BJP's conspiracies. 

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"Heard A Lot Of I, My, Myself In Last 10 Years": Shashi Tharoor's Swipe

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday accused the Centre of destroying India's democratic institutions and said the country is turning into an "electoral dictatorship".

He also took an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said there has been talk of only one person in the last 10 years and that the country now needs an alternative leadership that will understand people's needs and find solutions to their problems.

Mr Tharoor, also an author, made the remarks during a discussion on the book titled "Audacious Hope: How to Save a Democracy" by Indrajit Roy, at the 17th Jaipur Literature Festival here.

"We have a parliamentary system which is run by the President. And we should remember the Congress' slogan of 2014 -- 'Not I, We'," the Congress leader said.

"However, we have heard a lot of I, my, myself in the last 10 years. There has been talk of only one person," he said without taking any name.

Mr Tharoor said the antidote of this "I" is to create a different kind of leadership, which does not just boast about itself, but "listens to you with complete humility, talks about you, understands your needs and addresses them".

He said that democracy is facing a "real crisis" today.

He appealed to the youth to use their franchise extensively in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and said "ultimately only your vote matters. Your future is in your hands".

He also said that India is a strong and mature democracy.

On a question that the INDIA bloc could not agree on a single name to counter PM Modi in the parliamentary polls, Mr Tharoor said, "Vote for the opposition alliance, and then we will answer this question." On the announcement by the Trinamool Congress to go alone in polls in West Bengal, he said, "The fact is that many political parties are involved in it (INDIA bloc). No single formula can be applicable to all...each state has its own politics. There are some states where we agree with each other, some others where we do not agree with each other." Attacking the BJP government, Mr Tharoor said that in the last six-seven decades, previous governments had strengthened various institutions for the smooth functioning of democracy, but today the autonomy of these institutions is being destroyed.

He said that under the guise of majority, the country is turning into an "electoral dictatorship" from an electoral democracy.

Referring to the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and other investigating agencies, Tharoor said that the Central government is "shamelessly" using them for vested interests.

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Centre Appoints Apurva Chandra As New Health Secretary

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra was appointed the Health Secretary as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Saturday.

Mr Chandra is a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Maharashtra cadre.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved Chandra's appointment as the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

Senior bureaucrat Sanjay Jaju has been appointed as the new Information and Broadcasting Secretary in place of Mr Chandra.

Mr Jaju, a 1992-batch IAS officer, is currently serving in his cadre state of Telangana.

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a 1988-batch (retired) IAS officer of Uttarakhand cadre, has been named Secretary to the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal on contract basis for a period of one year, it said.

Ashish Kumar Bhutani, a 1992-batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will be Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.

Senior bureaucrat Raj Kumar Goyal has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Border Management.

Legal Affairs Secretary Niten Chandra will now be Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, and K Moses Chalai has been named Secretary of Inter State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Mr Chalai is currently Secretary, North Eastern Council Secretariat, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

Niten Chandra, who was the first IAS officer to be appointed to the post of legal affairs secretary, is also the secretary to the high-level committee on "One Nation, One Election".

Senior IAS officer Anil Malik has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Ministry of Women and Child Development. He will take over as Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development after superannuation of incumbent Indevar Pandey on February 29, the order said.

Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary (Logistics) in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, will now be Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

She will take over as Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment after the retirement of Arti Ahuja this month-end.

Vijay Kumar, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, has been named as Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India.

The ACC has also approved in-situ upgradation of posts held by four officers.

Accordingly, P Daniel will now be Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission in the rank and pay of Secretary. Rashmi Chowdhary will be Secretary, Central Information Commission in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government of India.

A Neeraja will be Special Secretary in the Department of Fertilizers and Shyam Bhagat Negi has been appointed as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat.

The ACC has also approved appointment of Reeta Vasishta, in-charge of Central Agency Section, Ministry of Law and Justice, as the Member Secretary, 22nd Law Commission of India, the order added.

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