Surgical Training - Human Resource Development in Rural Surgery: Developing the Paramedic Training Programme

The population of India is more than one billion. More than seventypercent of the population still lives in rural areas, or small town onslums. These areas are economically backward and lack in infrastructuredevelopment, including electricity, proper housing sanitation, healthfacilities, educational facilities and trained manpower. It is in suchsituations that many rural surgeons have set up their practices andhave started small hospitals.1 They provide appropriate care that isaffordable to the people and try to use the resources efficiently andinnovate if necessary. The paying capacity of the people is verylittle, there is no social security, and private insurance agencies donot cater to people with such an uncertain financial status. It is veryimportant that the services these doctors provide should becost-effective despite lack of infrastructure development and shortageof trained manpower.