Integrating Traditional Services within Primary Health Care

This article critically reviews the current status of primary health care services in India. It was observed that medical services have primarily relied on Western medicine, and are incompatible with prevailing health beliefs and practices. The failure of Western medicine and, as a consequence, that of primary health care, calls for developing some culturally compatible health care models for India. The traditional health services that have existed for thousands of years and have wide acceptance and application throughout India need to be rejuvenated and integrated within the existing health care programmes. The possibilities of such hybrid services are explored in this article to improve the quality of health and well-being of the masses.