Question : BACHELOR OF RURAL MEDICINE DEGREE COURSE

(a) whether the Government has finalised the Bachelor of Rural Medicine (BRM) degree course to raise a new cadre of health workers in rural and remote areas of the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the progress made in this regard;

(c) the nature, scope and length of the proposed course;

(d) whether there has been opposition and disagreement with the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on the matter;

(e) if so, the details thereof alongwith the reasons therefor; and

(f) the steps taken/proposed by the Government to address the concern of various stakeholders before the introduction of the proposed BRM degree course in the country?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE(SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a) to (c): The Central Government, in consultation with Medical Council of India (MCI) is planning to introduce a 3½ year rural health care course – Bachelor of Rural Health Care (BRHC), which is proposed to be taught in the District Hospitals and is especially designed for those who have completed their schooling and passed their qualifying examination, i.e. 10 + 2 examination, from notified rural areas of the district. The purpose of the proposed course is to generate a cadre of health care providers who by the virtue of the way they are chosen, trained, deployed and supported would be motivated to live in and provide comprehensive primary health care in the rural areas at the Sub-Centre level. Presently, the curriculum of the course has been prepared and the modalities of its implementation are being finalized.

(d) to (f) Though the proposal for BRHC has been prepared in consultation with MCI, a few associations like IMA have not welcomed the proposal. Nonetheless, in order to address the serious concern of shortage of availability of human resources in health sector in rural areas, the Government is committed to introduce the course, with inbuilt safeguards.