An integrated health care program with traditional and modern medicine : the case of Bapagram, India

My capstone question naturally grew out of my internship experiences in Machohalli village in South India and was strongly influenced by my experiences as a medical worker in my native country, Japan. This paper explores what kind of community-based and participatory health care program should be developed at Bapagram Foundation School in the village in order to empower the Dalits, the former untouchables. It is in response to the goal of "Health for All by the Year 2000, " which was articulated in the Alma Ata Declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to this declaration, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease. The paper looks at the causes of human ills from the framework of Werner and Sanders. They focus on the social, economic, and political causes of bad health rather than medical facilities and major breakthroughs in medical technology. My research consisted of two parts. I collected data from the survey which I had designed and conducted in the village where Bapagram School is located. I also collected and reviewed written information from books, journals, papers, and the Internet. Results of the survey show that the Dalits people in the village who used to be called untouchables are still suffering from poverty and being oppressed socially and economically in a caste-based society. I conclude that the health care programs at Bapagram integrate Ayurvedic medicine and modern medicine for good health at low cost, and address the class issues to help the Dalits people increase social awareness. While my paper is most relevant to the health workers in a village, the program regarding raising social awareness can be utilized by women's organizations and labor unions in India.