Allopathic, AYUSH and informal medical practitioners in rural India - a prescription for change

We opine that existing state policies that legitimise Allopathic practice by non-Allopathic practitioners do not help the rural poor to access proper medical treatment for acute conditions. Also, it does not enhance the credibility of the indigenous systems of medicine among which Ayurveda is the dominant system. First, we position our views in the context of the recently introduced National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2017 and provisions which call for the assessment of the need for human resources for health and building a road map to achieve the same. Second, we advocate re-inventing the pre-independence system of trained medical auxiliaries enrolled on a new schedule of the respective state medical register, authorised to give immediate medical treatment and making informed referrals for further diagnosis or specialised treatment. Finally, we recommend reinforcing the AYUSH systems to tackle emerging non-communicable diseases which are affecting all population cohorts adversely and, in whose prevention and management, the AYUSH systems are reported to possess special skills and competence.