Did you know that India has observed a significant elevation in the number of medical colleges? The data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shows that there were 189 government colleges and 215 private colleges in the academic year 2014-15. While on the other hand, there were 279 government colleges and 260 private colleges in the academic year 2019-20.
In the last five years, i.e., 2014-19, Indians have observed a total of 47% rise in the number of medical colleges.
Therefore, the increase in the number of medical colleges in India is huge, i.e., 404 in 2014-15 to 539 in 2019.
Also, there is a significant rise in the number of seats for undergraduate courses, i.e., 54348 in the year 2014-15 to 80312 in the year 2019-20. Similarly, postgraduate seats have also increased significantly — 65% in the last five years.
So can it be concluded from the above facts and figures that India has a huge demand for paramedical and medical courses?
Yes, but in such a situation, medical aspirants should understand the scope of paramedical education in India.
India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Also, it has many states that are developing rapidly in the sector of medical science. Many cities of India had a rapid growth of multispecialty hospitals that are providing world-class medical facilities. Although the growth is fast, it is yet insufficient to meet the growing demands of paramedical officers. As there is a huge gap between the demand and availability of health care workers and paramedics in India, there is a huge scope in the sector of paramedical courses in India too.
As a medical aspirant, it becomes important for you to look at the current scenario of medical science in the country.
It will give you a better insight into the demand and scope of paramedical courses in India.
Do you know what paramedical courses exactly mean?
Paramedical courses are one of the best courses that you can pursue in India. These courses give you a brief about the healthcare sector. There is a huge demand for healthcare workers in the sector of emergency medical care, like in trauma and accidents. The paramedical sector has observed huge and fast changes in recent years, and thus, there is a huge demand for paramedical workers. As a result, many colleges observed significant demand in paramedical courses. In this article, you will get to know other essential details regarding paramedical courses like scope, job, pay, and growth. With the increase in the number of hospitals, this course is going to be in huge demand in the future.
Paramedical Education in Indian: Current Scenario
With more than 460 paramedical colleges and 33 paramedical courses, millions of students take admission in these courses every year. In recent years, the Paramedical field has observed significant changes in its implementation and concepts; for instance, previously, paramedical workers were responsible for providing emergency medical care for the accidents cases involving and similar cases provide their service wherever required, i.e., in the hospital or field.
However, here in India, there is a completely different scenario. The paramedical field is versatile and involves knowledge of various subjects. Thus the demand for this field requires changes in the course, but many universities are not showing any kind of interest in upgrading this course. And as a result of which the value of this course has been consistently dropping and thus making this course an outdated one.
Shortage of paramedical workforce in India
Even after making significant efforts in bridging the gap between demand and shortage of paramedics, India is constantly facing a huge shortage. Many hospitals in India are facing a huge shortage of skilled paramedical workers.
According to a survey of the Public Health Foundation of India is short of 8.5 lakhs of anesthetists, 1.25 lakh optometrists, 7400 audiologists and speech-language specialists, 61000 lab technicians, 2.3 lakh medical technology workers, 18 lakh rehabilitation specialists, and 19000 radiographers.
If the paramedical sector is not taken care of soon, this crisis may deepen.
Many students, as they enter this course, face a severe shortage of clinical experience. And the poor infrastructural facility might be the main cause of it. Several private colleges are built with poor infrastructural facilities, but due to the shortage of seats, students need to take admission in private colleges because they are left with no option.
Thus, improvement in paramedical colleges is important to retain paramedical education in India. The best solution to this problem is that the public and private sectors should collaborate and work together to bridge this gap.
What is the way forward to a better future?
A survey was conducted in 2015, which involved thoughts of medical students and teachers on how to improve the paramedical sector in India, and their points are summarized below.
• Patient-centric medical training should be provided to the students.
• Unnecessary subjects and topics should be removed from the curriculum.
• The pattern of medical entrance exams should be modified.
• Improved facilities in the health care sector.
• Work on increasing versatility of medical education.
• Teach modern-day concepts in the health care sector to the students.
• Make better use of resources and technology to make learning efficient.
Eligibility criteria for paramedical courses
The demand for paramedical courses has been increasing significantly in both India and abroad. An aspirant can pursue this course after the completion of class 12th, but the student must have passed the 12th class with science and biology as a compulsory subject.
Types of paramedical courses
Different types of paramedical courses are available in India that is described below.
• Certificate course
• Bachelor’s degree course
• Postgraduate course
• Diploma course
Future growth prospects and how to get there faster
Paramedical courses come with immense job opportunities both in India as well as abroad. The highest demand for paramedical workers is in India, the US, the UK, Canada, and the UAE. The primary role of paramedical workers is to assist doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of a patient.
Skills and experience count a lot in the paramedical sector. Thus, to become successful in this field, you need to learn skills.
Are there any other career options with this degree if I didn’t find a job in this sector?
After completion of a paramedical course, numerous job opportunities are open for you, like Health departments, clinics, nursing homes, and hospitals provide good job opportunities. You can also work as a lab technician or a professor in a medical college. Thus, it is a worthy course with numerous job opportunities.
Which paramedical course is the best?
Almost all paramedical courses are good enough, but Bachelor of Operation theatre Technology, B.Sc. Medical Lab Technology, Bachelor of Physiotherapy, B.Sc. in X-Ray Technology, B.Sc. in Renal Dialysis Technology, B.Sc. in Radiography, and B.Sc. in Anesthesia Technology are some of the best. View the list of top paramedical courses in India at https://www.allschoolscolleges.com/c/paramedical.