-The Hindu The aim: to generate a cadre of healthcare providers who will stay put in villages and extend comprehensive healthcare to the needy It is not unusual to find Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in villages closed for long hours, with the patients waiting for a doctor. The reason: many doctors are reluctant to serve in rural areas. Thus, the promised public healthcare to all finds little meaning for the patients in...

-Outlook This could be the UPA’s worst cut to its beloved aam admi. Healthcare has virtually been handed over to privateers. Not For Those Who Need It Most Govt seems to have abandoned healthcare to the private sector Diagnosing An Ailing Republic     70 per cent of India still lives in the villages, where only two per cent of qualified allopathic doctors are available     Due to lack of access to medical care, rural India...

-The Hindu ‘In-patients will have to pay up if private agencies are allowed to use diagnostic centres to serve external customers’ The Chhattisgarh government’s move to outsource diagnostic services in public health facilities has evoked a sharp reaction from health activists, who fear that it will destroy laboratory services. The government has issued a request for proposals for private partnership in radiology and laboratory services in 379 public health facilities. Three categories of...

-The Indian Express Having earlier changed the name of the course to accommodate doctors’ opposition, the Health Ministry has now asked the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to conduct the B.Sc (Community Health) programme, instead of the Medical Council of India (MCI) as was originally planned. The board, that organises post-graduate medical examinations, formally gave its approval Saturday. Under this programme, rural healthcare workers will receive training, a project the ministry has...

-Economic and Political Weekly Extensive reforms are required so that sexually assaulted women do not feel they are the "accused" when they submit themselves for medical examination and trial. Urgent reforms such as setting up humane rape crisis centres where women can directly approach women counsellors to tell their story, lodge a complaint, and get examinations done at one place are required to improve the situation. Amita Pitre (amita@oxfamindia.org) is with Oxfam...