Bhubaneswar: The School of Vocational Education of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) will set up a health care hub here in association with Acrux Knowledge Centre to train youngsters in an attempt to meet the shortage of trained professionals in the sector.

A first of its kind centre in the state, the institute will provide bachelors degree in vocational education (BVoc), diploma programmes in patient care management, medical lab technology, x-ray and ultra sound assistance. The admission to these courses will start from July.

"The need for trained man power in health care has risen because of the lack of skilled people in the sector. Given the rate at which the is growing in the country, the shortfall will be enormous in the next decade if the issue is not immediately addressed," said Manaswini Swain, the director of the proposed hub.

The Indian health care industry has grown 12 per cent per annum on average over the past four years, mainly because of the rise in life expectancy, improved income levels, health insurance, life-style related diseases and improved technology.

"The hub would open up new vistas for local youth in the medical sector in the coming years with guaranteed employment," she added.

The institute will also have tie-ups with major hospitals in the state for knowledge acquisition and help arrange bank loans, she said.

Medha Somaiya, a professor at the school of vocational education, said: "Hospitals and nursing homes are a Rs 60,000 crore industry. In the next 10 years, the country would require 15 lakh doctors against the present strenth of 7.5 lakh.

Similarly, the strength of trained nurses would go up from the existing 37 lakh to 1.1 crore.

Supply of paramedics and technical staff members will grow fourfold in the next few years, she said.