Topic: 2024-Addressing Healthcare Worker Shortage
Country: India
Delegate Name: Katie Macey
Access to medical care is an essential human right. Quality healthcare can only be provided with a sufficient amount of healthcare workers. The global shortage of healthcare workers must be addressed. Barriers to education and training, the aging population, the lack of hospitals in rural areas, and increasing workloads on existing workers resulting from the worker shortage are all factors that contribute to the insufficient number of healthcare workers today. Although wealthier countries also face shortcomings in an adequate number of workers in the medical field, the lack of healthcare workers is especially prevalent in lower-income countries and rural areas.
Considering the high population of India, the shortage of healthcare workers is especially prevalent. India has a population of approximately 1.3 billion people. India’s active health worker density of 6.0 per 10,000 people is significantly lower than the number recommended by the World Health Organization of 44.5. Since 2005, India’s government has made policy changes in an attempt to align with the National Health Mission. However, as of 2021, only 37% of the population had health insurance. The private healthcare sector is the primary means of healthcare provision in India. The Republic of India is prepared to take dramatic measures to fulfill the constitution’s commitment to ensure the right to health for all.
In India and other nations suffering from healthcare shortages, it is not a lack of people with the talent to be healthcare workers. It is about creating systems that harness that talent and incentivize people to enter the healthcare field. It will take real investment, but common-sense programs can provide substantial improvement. For instance, barriers to education must be diminished. We should create funds to aid countries with the highest need to provide wider access to education is imperative. This increased funding should not just be directed at highly skilled doctors and nurses. Funding can also provide incentives for more general healthcare workers to be trained. Funding also needs to be put towards raising the pay of medical staff in lower-income countries in order to incentivize them to stay working in the country. Investing in medical technology as well as data analysis technology will allow areas of need to be identified and aided more effectively.
By reducing education barriers, incentivizing healthcare workers through increased pay, and investing in technology, countries can enhance their healthcare workforce. The commitment of governments worldwide is essential. These measures are vital in order to resolve the healthcare worker shortage.
