July 4: The Medical Education Commission (MEC) has estimated that more than 250,000 human resources related to health sector would be necessary till fiscal year 2087/88. MEC made this projection on the basis of a study conducted in fiscal year 2077/78 BS.    
A total of 358,938 human resources related to health including female health volunteers and office assistants in government and private health institutions would be needed within the period, shared the commission. Of them, 257,091 would be doctors and health workers.    
Vice-Chairperson of the commission, Prof Dr Sri Krishna Giri, mentioned that such number of human resources in health sector was estimated based on the human resource to be retired and going abroad during the period as well as basic health institutions the government has been constructing.    
As per the World Health Organisation, it is considered good to have minimum 4.45 health workers in per 1,000 population.    
A total of 234,361 human resources were needed in health institutions in fiscal year 2077/78 BS, only 178,309 human resources were working during the period.    
The commission projected that 16,784 MBBS doctors, 15,435 specialist consultant (MD) and 411 nursing professionals are needed till 2088 BS.    
Similarly, 3359 Nursing Assistants (Bachelor level), 88024 Nursing and Obstetrics Assistants (Certificate level), 2083 Traditional and Alternative Medicine professionals (Bachelor's and Master's level), 2118 Traditional and Assistant Physicians Technical (Certificate level) will be required.    
Likewise, 2688 human resources related to other health professions (Master's level), 23,150 human resources (Bachelor's level) in the other health related auxiliary professions and 104,039 human resources (Certificate level) in the other health related auxiliary professions have to be produced till that period.    
MEC stated that 57,043 Female Community Health Volunteers and office assistants, 44,800 cleaning staff and drivers would be required. The Council said 245,463 medical workforce, 54,463 female health volunteers and 42,777 office assistants, sanitary staff and drivers will be needed in 2083 BS.    
According to the MEC report, 7,659 medical human resources in the Bachelor's level, 1684 in the Master's level and 109 in the higher than Master's level would be produced this year. Similarly, 12,102 health workers would be produced in 11 medium and basic level subjects including nursing, general medicine, dental science, ayurvedic health science, physiotherapy, pharmacy, among others. -- RSS