| The most peripheral yet most vital outpost in India's health service organization is the primary health centre. Ideally, the physician at the primary health centre is responsible for total health care of the community, but in many cases the physician's education does not prepare him for the task. In follow-up home visiting, deployment of health assistants in preventive work, and in generating health consciousness in the community, he has not succeeded. A large gap exists between the needs of individuals in the environment of their homes and farms and the capabilities of modern medicine. To fill this gap a new type of physician is needed - a social biologist who can communicate effectively with patients, who will be an effective leader of health programmes, and who will use his knowledge to stimulate other community building programmes. Training of this new type of physician should be accompanied by community research. Five references are listed. |