Abstract
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.
MeSH terms
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Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration*
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Education, Medical / standards*
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Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data
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Health Resources / organization & administration*
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Health Resources / statistics & numerical data
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Health Services Needs and Demand / organization & administration
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Health Services Needs and Demand / statistics & numerical data
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Health Services, Indigenous / supply & distribution*
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Health Workforce / organization & administration
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Humans
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India
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Medicine, Ayurvedic
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Private Sector / statistics & numerical data
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Quackery
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Quality of Health Care / organization & administration*
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Quality of Health Care / standards
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Rural Health*