PARBHANI

Parbhani’s healthcare landscape, like many other regions across India, is shaped by a mix of indigenous and Western medical practices. For centuries, indigenous knowledge and treatments provided by practitioners such as hakims and vaidyas have formed the foundation of healthcare in the region. This long standing relationship between communities and their natural environment played a key role in shaping the district’s early medical traditions. 

Over the years, the region has witnessed several significant developments when it comes to healthcare delivery. Alongside public and private services, many community organisations have also emerged. One such organisation, the Mahatma Gandhi Seva Sangh (MGSS), was founded in Parbhani and is now known nationally for its work with people with disabilities. Notably, in 2022, MGSS was recognised as India’s Best NGO by the Department of Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Much like other regions in India, Parbhani’s healthcare infrastructure follows a multi-tiered system that involves both public and private sectors. The public healthcare system is structured into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Primary care is provided through Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres (PHCs), secondary care is managed by Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Sub-District hospitals, while tertiary care, the highest level, is delivered through Medical Colleges and District Hospitals.

Supporting this structure is a network of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) who, as described by the National Health Mission, serve as “an interface between the community and the public health system.” Over time, this multi-layered healthcare model has been continuously shaped and refined by national healthcare policies and reforms, with the aim of providing universal health coverage across regions.

In the mid-20th century, Parbhani’s healthcare system was mainly served by public hospitals and dispensaries. According to the district Gazetteer (1967), the Civil Hospital was the district’s main medical facility at the time. By 1989, the hospital had expanded to include specialised wards for tuberculosis, pathology, radiology, maternity, and venereal diseases, with a total of 40 beds, including six for maternity care. A separate maternity hospital with 12 beds and a training school for auxiliary nurse-midwives (with 15 seats) reflected efforts to strengthen maternal health services.

Over the years, however, many reports have come up on how the Civil Hospital here has continued to face challenges with bed shortages, as many patients from surrounding districts seek care there. This issue has been reported frequently and there are persistent capacity problems that are common in general hospitals across the state.

From the late 20th century onwards, more private hospitals and clinics opened in Parbhani, often set up by local trusts, non-governmental organisations, and individual practitioners.

Medical education and research are part of Parbhani’s healthcare system. As Mathew Gerge (2023) notes, medical institutions in India often serve a “dual purpose” by training healthcare professionals and providing medical services to the local population. In Parbhani, both government and private institutions contribute to this sector.

Government Medical College

The Government Medical College, Parbhani, was established in 2022 and is located in the I.T.I. Campus near Zilla Parishad, behind DSM College on Jintur Road. The college offers an undergraduate MBBS programme and forms part of the district’s efforts to expand access to medical education and trained healthcare personnel.

The Parbhani Medical College and R P Hospital & Research Institute, established in 2023 by Shri Dhaneshwari Manav Vikas Mandal, is a private institution located on Parbhani-Manvat Road. It offers an undergraduate MBBS programme supported by departments such as Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, and Community Medicine. The institute adds to local medical training while providing healthcare services through its attached hospital.

Before the introduction of modern healthcare systems and the structured three-tiered network in place today, communities in Parbhani, like much of India, relied on indigenous knowledge and local medical traditions for their well-being. India has long been known for its pluralistic health tradition, and in Parbhani, systems such as Ayurveda and Unani have deep historical roots. Alongside these formal systems, household remedies and simple treatments passed down through families have formed an important part of daily healthcare for generations.

In many villages of the district, especially in Jintur taluka, many say that herbal medicine continues to play a major role in local health practices. The use of medicinal plants is widespread, supported by traditional healers such as Vaidyas, Ojhas, and Bhumkas, who combine plant-based treatments with community beliefs. This connection between herbal knowledge and cultural practice shows how local healing methods remain significant for many families in the district.

Notably, in recent years, Shri Guru Buddhiswami Mahavidyalaya in Purna has taken steps to preserve and share this knowledge through its Herbs for Healthy Life project. Led by Dr. Sanjay Dalvi from the Department of Botany, the project encourages the use of local herbs as alternatives to chemical-based medicines, focusing on prevention and everyday care.

Under Dr. D. R. Waghmare, the college has developed a Medicinal Garden with around 65 plant species, some labelled with QR codes for students and visitors. Through exhibitions and outreach, students have helped share information about traditional herbs with over 350 visitors seeking remedies for common health issues like kidney stones, diabetes, and skin conditions. Information on local plants has been collected from traditional healers and validated through research.

The determinants of health and health outcomes, as the World Health Organization (WHO) elaborates, are not solely shaped by more than just medical factors and healthcare services. The organization uses the term “social determinants of health (SDH)” to refer to the “non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.”  These non-medical factors can be sanitation, nutrition, community well-being, or, as the WHO outlines, “income and social protection,” “food security,” access to quality healthcare, and more.

While there have been ongoing efforts to strengthen Pune district’s healthcare infrastructure, certain areas still face challenges, particularly in addressing these broader health determinants. In response, non-governmental organizations have emerged as vital partners, working alongside public health systems to develop innovative, grassroots-level approaches that bridge these gaps.

Mahatma Gandhi Seva Sangh (MGSS)

MGSS helps run the Central Government’s ADIP Scheme and has held large camps to give free assistive devices to older people and people with disabilities, reaching over one lakh people. It has also worked with Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation on a project to detect disabilities early and help children get support and join regular schools. Under the National Hearing Mission, MGSS has organised camps across the state to check hearing problems and provide hearing aids to more than 20,000 people.

One of MGSS’s notable projects is what later came to be called the Akola Pattern. It began with a detailed household survey in Akola district that documented the living conditions and needs of over 50,000 people with disabilities in a population of around 1.5 lakh. Based on this survey, a model was developed that places people with disabilities at the centre of local planning and offers a new approach to rehabilitation, which is now being adopted in other parts of Maharashtra.

MGSS is also an authorised dealer for the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) and supplies prosthetic devices and aids to those in need. Its work also covers policy design, accessibility audits, and research to help build a more inclusive society.