A positive outcome of the global COVID-19 pandemic in India, and in most affected countries, is the ‘resurgence of public health as a widely respected discipline’. During a webcast in Canada in April 2020, famous author Malcolm Gladwell said “public health was a major influence in advancing human health and well-being in the 20th century”.
The onslaught of infectious diseases such as small-pox, poliomyelitis, HIV-AIDS, etc. – all public health crises – have led to technological advances in healthcare systems and management through history. And, today, with the COVID-19 outbreak, similar advancements in research and changes in policy are taking place, triggering an array of ‘new’ career options in the healthcare industry alongside.
In India, the number of job postings in the healthcare industry is showing a steady recovery as compared to other sectors which continue to stall in comparison. The healthcare sector is one of the few sectors that has remained relatively immune to the pandemic and the resulting economic fallout in the country. According to www.Indeed.com, a real-time measure of labour market activity, the trends in job postings in India indicate a growth in demand for physicians, surgeons, nursing and pharmacy staff.
The healthcare sector in India
The healthcare sector in India is one of the largest, in terms of revenue generation and the number of people employed in the sector, directly and indirectly. As per India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the Indian healthcare sector is expected to reach INR 19.57 lakh crore (USD 280 billion) in 2020.
Healthcare comprises hospitals, clinical trials, medical tourism, medical equipment, telemedicine, health insurance, medical devices, allied fields such as physiotherapy, pharmacies, diagnostic and pathology labs, etc.
Some of the most important factors that have contributed to the growth of the healthcare sector include: Increased health awareness among the population; Rising income levels and disposable income and income sources; Increased prevalence of lifestyle diseases in the country such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes and diseases associated with smoking, alcohol and drug abuse; and easier access to health insurance.
The fast-expanding healthcare industry offers multitude of career opportunities and has become one of the most lucrative career options among the youth.
Diverse career options available
The healthcare industry has been growing at a fast pace due to the influx of public and private entities in the sector with high spending powers, strengthening coverage and increased demand of medical and healthcare products and services. The industry is always in need of talented and dedicated medical staff, nursing assistants, pharmacy workers, technicians, therapists, researchers, home caretakers, paramedics, etc. In India, several colleges, universities and technical institutes provide degrees and diplomas in the various fields of healthcare management.
India’s education system churns out thousands of talented scientists, researchers, educationists and engineers every year. There has been a huge demand for specialists in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, particularly in the area of research and development and innovation. The increased competition in the sector provides for huge potential for career options and career growth.
Career options in the healthcare sector broadly include health, leisure, social care and education, as follows: Registered nurses, nurse midwives, practitioners and anaesthetists; physiotherapists and sports physiotherapists; radiation therapists and technicians; medical sonographers and technologists; pharmacy technicians, pharmacovigilance and regulatory audits workers; clinical laboratory technician, clinical scientists; emergency medical assistants; health information technicians; radiologic technicians and diagnostic labs technicians and assistants; medical writers; medical counsellors; etc.
These opportunities are available in the following broad areas: Ayurveda, Dentistry, Electropathy, Homeopathy, Medical Laboratories, Radiography, Pathology, Nursing, Naturopathy and Yoga, Microbiology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacovigilance, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Sports Medicine, Psychiatry, Optometry, Orthopaedics, Medical Insurance, Research and Development, Medico-Legal, Patent issues, etc.
Allied fields gaining recognition
The world over, India is known to produce highly-educated doctors and engineers. Medicine is a highly-coveted field. Every year, thousands of students leave their homes and make a beeline to towns/cities where ‘coaching centres’ prepare them for the medical entrance exams. It is a colossal money-spinning industry in itself and one which is all set to grow even further.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) NEET, formerly the All India Pre-Medical Test, is an entrance examination in India for students who wish to study undergraduate medical courses (MBBS) and dental courses (BDS) in government or private medical and dental colleges in India. In 2019, NEET registered 15,19,375 candidates who wrote the entrance exam. In 2020, despite the COVID-19 crisis, 15,97,452 candidates registered for the entrance exam.
Kota-based medical entrance exam coach Suresh Jain feels, “There’s no doubt, most students from science background attempt the NEET exam at least once as NEET happens to be both their and their parents’ first preference. However, lately I am seeing more and more students opting for allied fields in the medical industry. Not only there’s more awareness but also openness among parents who are allowing their children to make a career in the allied fields.”
“It’s a matter of the past when the only option after school was to pursue a medical degree. I am a doctor myself but never pressurised my daughter. She is a microbiologist as she loves to do research and works in the R&D department of a renowned pharmaceutical company,” says Pune-based gynaecologist Amruta Pawar.
Daughter Janhavi has had her priorities well sorted right from the onset. “I love research and have found myself really enjoying my career with microbiology. A lot of my friends too have opted for a range of allied fields. Now, no longer is medicine the only choice,” she says.
New demands and emerging fields
There are several fields in the healthcare sector that have witnessed a surge in the demand for professionals. For example, in the pharma sector, there is an increased demand of regulatory professionals, in particular of those who have experience in foreign markets. “Pharma industry is one of the biggest drivers in the healthcare industry. There is a huge demand in the areas of quality control, manufacturing, etc.,” says Mumbai-based pharmacy student Jay Mehta.
Simultaneously, diagnostics also have seen a surge in career opportunities. “There is a whole range of options available in that area as well, especially for technicians,” maintains Jay.
The Indian healthcare industry is also witnessing an increase in demand for highly skilled research and development professionals. Industry experts feel the demand is only going to increase in the times to come to keep up with the expanding healthcare sector.
India is one of the biggest providers of high-end diagnostic services. Market studies suggest India’s pharmaceutical market is estimated to ‘grow at a CAGR around 12 per cent over the next three years.’
Among the newer options available are Clinical Scientists, Medical Writers, Patent Attorney, Pharmacogenomics Scientists, Epigenetic counsellors, Health data Scientists and Insurance Underwriter to name a few.
Now, with the COVID situation upon us, the state and private sectors are looking to take stock of the healthcare infrastructure and manpower situation. India, besides managing the impending COVID crisis with wise maturity, will look to lead.