Lucknow: Community-based healthcare practitioners across India may soon receive official recognition as Community Primary Healthcare Providers, marking a significant development in grassroots medical services.
Dr. O.P. Mishra, Chairman of the Indian Rural Medicos Society and Vice Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of the All India Healthcare Providers Association, welcomed recent political support for the longstanding demands. He praised the leadership of the Telugu Desam Party, expressing optimism that the demand to grant treatment rights to experienced grassroots practitioners—referred to as “Chikitsa Mitras”—may soon be fulfilled.
Dr. Mishra stated that for years, the organization has been advocating for recognition of individuals who, based on experience, have been providing basic medical care and first aid in rural and underserved areas. “It appears that the time has come for these healthcare workers to be formally acknowledged and empowered,” he said.
Recently in New Delhi, members of the Joint Action Committee met Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, who facilitated a meeting with Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda. During the discussion, the committee demanded that nearly 50 lakh such practitioners be officially recognized as healthcare providers under a structured framework.
The issue also gained traction in Parliament. On March 30, Appala Naidu Kalisetti, a Member of Parliament from the Telugu Desam Party, raised the matter in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377, seeking a government response and urging integration of community primary healthcare providers into the mainstream health system.
Earlier, on March 25, the MP had written to the Union Health Minister, requesting urgent action on the proposal to formalize and regulate these practitioners.
If implemented, the move is expected to strengthen primary healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and remote regions, while providing legal recognition and structure to millions of grassroots healthcare workers who have long been serving communities without formal acknowledgment.
