‘The future of hospitals will not be built around doctors alone’

Bengaluru

India’s healthcare work force debate has moved beyond merely having sufficient doctors and nurses. The availability of trained allied healthcare profes sionals – including imaging technologists, physiothera pists, occupational thera pists, optometrists, laboratory technicians and clinical care support staff – remains a challenge. In an interview with News Trail, Prof U T Ifthikar, Chairman, Karnataka State Allied and Healthcare Council, acknowledges that trained and competent manpower remains a major concern of the expanding health care system. He emphasised that Karnataka’s allied healthcare sector has developed its own identity and emerged as an independent pillar rather than merely a support system. With the rapid expansion of hospitals and growing complexity of healthcare, allied healthcare has moved from the sidelines to the centre of modern medicine. “As medicine becomes increasingly specialised and technology-driven, healthcare delivery depends on a large ecosystem of professionals who possess expertise that doctors and nurses are not necessarily trained to provide,” he said.

Has allied healthcare moved from the sidelines to the centre of modern medicine?

For decades, allied healthcare professionals were viewed largely as a support system for doctors and nurses. This perception is now changing rapidly. As medicine be comes increasingly specialised and technology driven, healthcare delivery depends on professionals with expertise that doctors and nurses are not necessarily trained to provide. An orthopaedic surgeon may perform surgery, but physio thera pists play a crucial role in rehabilitation and restoring mobility. Similarly, pa tients with neurological conditions may require occupational and physi cal therapy. In cardiology, oncology, sports medicine and critical care, specialised allied professionals are increasingly integral to the treatment pathway. The same applies to technology-intensive areas. CT and MRI scanners require trained imaging technologists, while round-the-clock dialysis units need profession also specifically trained to operate and monitor the equipment. Operation theatres, cardiovascular and respiratory care, and laboratory diagnostics similarly depend on specialised personnel.

What regulatory reforms are needed to ensure mushrooming allied healthcare institutions maintain minimum standards?

A hospital may have a state-of-the-art dialysis unit or advanced imaging equipment, but both require appropriately trained personnel. As allied healthcare enters a new era, the “One Nation, One Curriculum” concept of a uniform curriculum across India is being pursued. The Council is also considering NEET-linked admission for selected courses, including physiotherapy, in phases to improve transparency and ensure prescribed eligibility standards. In Karnataka alone, the sector has ex- panded considerably, with over 300 institutions and a large student intake. The priority, therefore, should be to bridge the skill gap, rather than simply the numerical gap.

Is allied healthcare no longer a fallback option for students who do not pursue medicine?

Students should no longer view allied healthcare as merely an alternative for those unable to enter MBBS. It is becoming a regulated, specialised and technol ogy-driven career sector with its own professional identity, curriculum and registration. The future of hospitals will not be built around doctors alone. It will be a multidisciplinary ecosystem in which doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals function as interconnected pillars. Remember, specialised technical personnel cannot be substituted by doctors or nurses.