There is an immediate need to encourage more students to pursue nursing and paramedical courses to meet the large demand in the field, academicians said here on Monday.
At the UK-India Medical Education Seminar, experts said the projected growth in the country's healthcare industry would provide huge opportunities for skilled medical staff here and abroad. "By 2020, the Indian healthcare industry is estimated to be worth $275.6 billion. As of now, 8% of our GDP is spent on healthcare. India needs to spend at least $80 billion more in the next five years to meet targets," saidPradipta Mahapatra, past chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and chairman of the Executive and Business Coaching Foundation India Limited. "Along with around 800,000 doctors, India needs many paramedics and nurses. There is also a large requirement for administrative and management staff," he added.
India is one of the major countries sending medical sciences students to the UK and doctors and industry experts said collaboration between UK and Indian universities may provide a solution to the current shortage. In 2009-10, there were more than 4 lakh Indian students in the UK, almost 800 of them nursing students. According to experts, for most of those choosing to study in the UK, cost is a major concern.
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