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India’s private hospitals record 27% growth with number touching 38000

The healthcare infrastructure in India has grown tremendously after the pandemic, as per a report by Pharmarack. While the number of hospitals has jumped from 43,500 in 2019 to 54,000 in 2024, the private hospitals have registered the strongest growth of 27% – from about 30,000 in 2019 to 38,000 in 2024.

The number of aggregate hospitals beds too have surged from 1.1 million to 1.3 million during the same period. “The hospital beds are expected increase to about 1.7 million by 2030 with likely increase in both urban and rural areas,” said the report.

The number of medical colleges have registered a significant growth in the past 10 years. For instance, there were 387 medical colleges in 2014 offering 51,348 seats. It has gone up to 706 colleges (offering 109,145 seats) this year. In the same period, the number of nursing colleges have increased from 5,700 to 8,692, the report said.

“Despite a significant ramp up in the healthcare infrastructure, a vast majority of the population still remains under-served. Almost 70% of the population resides in rural India. Out of the total healthcare facilities available in the country today, only 25% exists in rural India. This will take some time to pick up, but the journey has begun through the rapid growth and acceptance of pandemic-triggered innovations like online pharmacies, teleconsultations, and various initiatives by the government to ensure right to health for all sections,” said Sheetal Sapale, VP (commercial), Pharmarack.

As per the report, in the past six years, the online pharmacy market has grown nearly four-fold from $512 million in 2018 to $2 billion in 2024. Around 2018, this segment was growing at 10-15% annually, and peaked at 60% during the pandemic. The growth has now stabilised at 20%.

“The online pharmacies are more popular with chronic illness patients who seek discounts on regular medication purchases. With partnerships for last-mile delivery, online pharmacies have broadened reach, attracting consumers in semi-urban and rural regions through features like COD (cash on delivery) and e-payment options,” the report said. The Financial Express

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