Expressing concern over the odds in adopting the course of BSc in Community Health, also known as Bachelor of Rural Health Medicine (BRHM), medical experts stressed that it can only be a short term measure to help the rural population in getting medical assistance.
Experts have requested the government in a representation sent recently, to think beyond the same and try to adopt other pragmatic measures that will help in addressing the issue of shortage of healthcare workers in the rural areas.
Considering the controversy surrounding the new course, experts have urged the government to seriously deliberate over the same and expressed hope that the new government should take a rational stand to address the issue of skilled man power shortage than supplementing it with other options.
Sources inform that shortages of allopathic doctors at primary care level in rural areas, has initially prompted the then Government to a diluted BSc three year course, BRMS, to now agreed BSc in Community Health, known as BRHM in November2013.
“Even when the course was proposed there was a strong opposition from all the quarters, especially because substitution is not an option here, as they fall short to meet the general requirements as prescribed. What makes the matters worse is that, there seems a lot of confusion as which course curriculum to be carried out by State universities, whether approved by reluctant MCI or by enthusiastic National Board of Education, directly controlled by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” pointed out Gautam Sen, ex first board of governors MCI.
He further added that radical reforms are needed to change this crunch by focusing on manpower planning, their education and training, training institution’s accreditation process, the regulatory process of their practice so that they are safe to practice their profession and above all reforms needed to finance the health care delivery. “All these reforms and more, have to be carried out with equal zeal and simultaneously, so that each elements together will produce the desired outcome- of better outcomes in nation’s health index and universal health coverage for our people,” stressed, Sen who is also the president of Health Care International and Association For Trauma Care of India.
It is understood that some of the late awakening has prompted several spates of measures- notably amongst them being National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) National Urban Health Mission (NUHM ) 2005-2012. interestingly, the shortages of healthcare workforce at rural region has also prompted several measures like creation of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) conceived in 2005 but launched in 2012 with ambitious plan of having one such activist in each village of India.