Development of a rural community health care model based on Indian indigenous system of medicine

Based on the principles of primary health care as outlined by WHO at the Alma Ata Conference in 1978, many voluntary organizations in India have been formulating, organizing and experimenting with the comprehensive rural community health Schemes. The goal is to indentify the felt needs at both individual and community levels and facilitate direct participation in decision making, develop suitable alternative, ecologically Sound indigenous models for socioeconomic well-being. In this context the Indian system of medicine has a useful and complementary role to play in the preventive and curative aspects of primary health care programmes. With the above objectives in mind the investigators undertook a brief survey of a "comprehensive rural health" project. The primary aim of this project is to develop a community health care model using innovative alternative methods using Indian indigenous system of medicine and participatory research techniques to improve rural health services of the surrounding under privileged villages. Many gaps exist in the assessment, however, a birds eye-view is presented here.