NEW DELHI: The infant mortality rate in Kerala was only 66 per one lakh births, while it was 328 in Assam in 2010-12.
On the positive side, the overall infant mortality rate in India has declined from 47 in 2010 to 42 in 2012, said a report released by the Union Health Ministry.
The report, The National Health Profile-2013, which focuses on healthcare standards and quality of medical infrastructure in the country, was released on Thursday.
The cases of coronary heart disease is estimated to touch 6.1 crore by 2015 from 3.6 crore in 2005, while the number of diabetes cases is said to reach 4.6 crore from 3.1 crore, the report said.
The natural growth rate of population has come down by more than five points from 19.7 in 1991 to 14.5 in 2012.
According to the report, there was a plunge in the estimated birth and death rates in both rural and urban areas.
The combined birth rate (both rural and urban areas) was 21.6 in 2012 as against 29.5 in 1991.
Similarly, the combined death rate was seven in 2012 compared to 9.8 in 1991. At 10.1, the combined death rate was a little high in 1992.
Despite all the growth and developments, the health infrastructure remains below international standards, with only 6.28 lakh hospital beds and 9,18,303 allopathic doctors for over 1.25 billion people.
The doctor, both allopathic and AYUSH, population ratio is 1:1217. In rural areas, the number of doctors available at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) was 29,562 as of March 2013. There were 1,51,684 sub centres, 24,448 PHCs and 5,187 community health centres during the period.
Though there are 9,18,303 registered doctors, according to the Health Ministry, there are only 6 to 6.5 lakh doctors available in the country.
The report said there were 249 functional Eye Banks and 2,545 licensed Blood Banks in the country as of December 2013. The dental surgeon-population ratio was 1:10120.
The ministry said the country required four lakh additional doctors by 2020 – 1.5 lakh doctors in 50,000 PHCs,0.8 lakh in 12,500 CHCs, 1.1 lakh in 5,642 SDHs and 0.5 lakh doctors in 800 MCHs.
Maharastra tops the list of states with the highest number of doctors with 1,47,989 ones registered up to 2013, followed by Tamil Nadu at 1,00,165.
Union Health Minister Harshvardhan, who released the report, said India should aim for excellence in healthcare database as exists in the US.