Global demand for health workforce has increased in recent decades, especially in developed countries, thus drawing health workers from developing countries. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of health worker availability. Shortage of healthcare workers aggravated by the pandemic resulted in policies to attract and retain foreign health workers in several receiving countries, which have direct repercussions on the already burdened health systems of the source developing countries. Issues like brain drain and how to mitigate its impact on developing countries are still important concerns. It requires us to first identify countries with a critical shortage of health workforce. This paper creates a modified framework, drawing upon the existing World Health Organization (WHO) methodology to classify countries with “critical shortages.” Using this modified framework, it attempts to classify India’s position in terms of health worker availability. The analysis suggests that policymakers can actively engage in formulating bilateral agreements by incorporating more provisions specific to the mobility of health workers to ensure they continue to provide human resources for health (HRH) to other countries and to better manage the mobility of health workers in the interests of both sending and receiving countries. The paper next examines emigration trends for Indian healthcare professionals and policies undertaken by the Government of India (GoI) to ensure India’s continued role as a global supplier. It also discusses India’s approach to signing agreements addressing the mobility of healthcare professionals and the scope for tapping new markets. Lastly, we analyze the reverse flows to India from key destination countries in the form of remittances, official development assistance (ODA), and foreign direct investment (FDI) based on the argument that source countries can be compensated through targeted arrangements with receiving countries in the areas of medical education and training, health infrastructure, and technologies.
Global demand for health workforce has increased in recent decades, especially in developed countries, thus drawing health workers from developing countries. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of health worker availability. Shortage of healthcare workers aggravated by the pandemic resulted in policies to attract and retain foreign health workers in several receiving countries, which have direct repercussions on the already burdened health systems of the source developing countries. Issues like brain drain and how to mitigate its impact on developing countries are still important concerns. It requires us to first identify countries with a critical shortage of health workforce. This paper creates a modified framework, drawing upon the existing World Health Organization (WHO) methodology to classify countries with “critical shortages.” Using this modified framework, it attempts to classify India’s position in terms of health worker availability. The analysis suggests that policymakers can actively engage in formulating bilateral agreements by incorporating more provisions specific to the mobility of health workers to ensure they continue to provide human resources for health (HRH) to other countries and to better manage the mobility of health workers in the interests of both sending and receiving countries. The paper next examines emigration trends for Indian healthcare professionals and policies undertaken by the Government of India (GoI) to ensure India’s continued role as a global supplier. It also discusses India’s approach to signing agreements addressing the mobility of healthcare professionals and the scope for tapping new markets. Lastly, we analyze the reverse flows to India from key destination countries in the form of remittances, official development assistance (ODA), and foreign direct investment (FDI) based on the argument that source countries can be compensated through targeted arrangements with receiving countries in the areas of medical education and training, health infrastructure, and technologies.
