SANTO DOMINGO – A comprehensive health workforce survey conducted by the Ministry of Public Health has revealed a paradoxical situation in the Dominican Republic’s healthcare system. While the nation exceeds international benchmarks for overall medical personnel availability, it confronts an acute nursing deficit that threatens the quality of care delivery.
The study demonstrates that the country achieves 56.3 doctors and nurses per 10,000 inhabitants, surpassing the WHO/PAHO target of 44.5. However, this achievement masks a critical imbalance: when examining nursing personnel separately, the density plummets to just 26 per 10,000 people—dramatically below the recommended standard of 70.6. This discrepancy indicates a shortage exceeding 48,000 nursing professionals to meet global norms.
Demographic analysis reveals a predominantly female workforce (81.1%) with a youthful composition, as 58.3% of health professionals fall within the 25-44 age bracket. The sector demonstrates strong national representation with 99.7% Dominican staff members.
Academic qualifications present a balanced educational landscape: 48.9% hold university degrees, 20.3% possess postgraduate qualifications, and 30.8% comprise technical staff. The workforce distribution shows physicians constituting 37.3% of personnel while nursing staff represents 32.1%, collectively accounting for nearly 70% of all healthcare workers.
Geographically, the Ozama region concentrates 36.6% of the health sector’s workforce, with the National District alone hosting 23.9% of all positions. The census documented 107,174 active job positions, with an overwhelming 92.8% dedicated to direct patient care, highlighting the substantial operational demands on both public and private health services.