Separate Cadre of Doctors for Rural Areas

Separate Cadre of Doctors for Rural Areas

The Government, in consultation with Medical Council of India (MCI), has prepared a course namely, Bachelor of Science (Community Health) which was earlier named as Bachelor of Rural Health Care (BRHC) course. The main objective of the proposed course is to create mid-level public health professionals who will primarily be deployed at Sub Centres and would possess the necessary public health and ambulatory care competencies to serve the rural population.

In Writ Petition (C) No. 13208 of 2009 in the matter of MeenakshiGautham and others, the petitioners have prayed the court to enforce the recommendations of the Government appointed Task Force on medical education under its National Rural Health Mission and direct the Government to introduce a short-term course for training health workers for primary healthcare in rural areas. The Hon’ble Delhi High Court while hearing the case had urged the Central Council of Health & Family Welfare to look into all the facets and take a broadest view in a holistic manner so that the health, which is the requisite concern of the every living being, can be adequately addressed to.

The Government has decided to implement the B.Sc. (CH) course to create a cadre of mid-level primary health workers and appointed the National Board of Examinations as the executing agency for implementing the course.

The above information was given by the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, ShriGhulamNabi Azad in a written reply to a question in the RajyaSabha yesterday.