Rural India healthcare

Yesterday, our group visited sites belonging to the public health program of India. We visited three separate sites, each visit becoming closer to the local village. While the trip was quite instructive in Indian culture and values as a whole, it also demonstrated the shortcomings and victories of the public health sector in India. While several beds were empty and we were not always given a straight answer to questions about the availability of doctors or how widespread the usage of public health services are in India, the trip made clear India is focusing on important healthcare concerns, such as maternal care and contraception, and even doing more innovative things than the US, such as through India's use of Ashas. These women live in and belong to a village where they also work, know the health issues of their fellow village people, and treat and refer those people. This model seemed to me to be one of their greatest assets in engaging the Indian people in public health services. the visits were eye-opening in this manner but also exciting and interesting to interact one on one with the Indian people living in one village.