The first 5 paragraphs of the article are meaningful. The suggestion - "A paradigm shift from the current 'Bio-medical model' to a 'socio-cultural model', that should bridge the gaps and improve quality of rural life, is the current need of the hour and an answer to the prevailing scenario in India" - is fine but how this is going to be implemented is the question. The answer is not to set up a new course for rural doctors.

The reason for the present state of affairs is the blind adoption of the 'biomedical model' of western medicine. The same has landed the health care scenario in the US in a state of mess by becoming unaffordably expensive, not to speak of the role played by the insurance companies.

Worldwide, mind-body-spirit medicine is being recognised as simplifying medicine and healthcare and is being talked about as Era 3 medicine. We have forgotten the philosophy of mind-body-spirit medicine, which is fundamental to our own Ayurveda and which is in consonance with our socio-cultural model.

The Medical Council of India needs to take a hard look into such basic matters, if a longlasting solution is to be found for the health care disparity.