More than half of the doctors in India are not medically qualified, a  report titled "Health Workforce in India" by the World Health Organisation(WHO) has claimed.

According to the report, in rural India, only 18.8 percent of the allopathic doctors qualified. The report is based on the data  taken from each district in the country based on Census 2001. 

Around 31 percent of those who claimed to be allopathic doctors in 2001, had qualification till secondary school level, whereas 57 per cent did not have any qualification at all, the WHO report said according to the Hindu.

In the field of alternative medicine, 60 per cent of Ayurvedic doctors were reported to be medically qualified and 46 per cent of Unani doctors had a medical degree, whereas only 42 per cent homepathy practioners were medically qualified, the WHO said. Among the dentists in India, 42.3 percent had a medical degree.

The women workforce in health sector, was better educated than their male counterparts. According to the WHO report, 67 per cent of females had a medical qualification compared to 38 per cent of males.

The already dismal doctor population ratio in India fell even further from 80 per lakh population to 36 doctors per lakh population, according to WHO.

Medical Council of India Secretary Reena Nayyar meanwhile said that the Council has not yet seen the report. She said any doctor who does not have the required medical degree falls under the 'quacks' category.