Inequity in health care delivery in India: the problem of rural medical practitioners
Kumar, R.; Jaiswal, V.; Tripathi, S.; Kumar, A.; Idris, M.Z.
Health Care Analysis Hca Journal of Health Philosophy and Policy 15(3): 223-233
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 1065-3058
PMID: 17922199
DOI: 10.1007/s10728-007-0060-x
Accession: 053824834
A considerable section of the population in India accesses the services of individual private medical practitioners (PMPs) for primary level care. In rural areas, these providers include MBBS doctors, practitioners of alternative systems of medicine, herbalists, indigenous and folk practitioners, compounders and others. This paper describes the profile, knowledge and some practices of the rural doctor in India and then discusses the reasons for lack of equity in health care access in rural areas and possible solutions to the problem.