Vol: 2, Issue: 3 2012

Page: 01-10

Health Care System in India: A Study

Ravi Prakash

The health care system in India is as old as Indian civilization. In fact before the advent of the western system of medicine each nation had its own indigenous medicine system, which offered medical care to their citizens. These systems expanded independent of one another. Each system developed its own underlying principle of treatment. The existence of Ayurveda in India most likely dates back to the period of the Indus Valley Civilization. Jivaka, Charka, Susrata, Vaghbhata, Dhanvantri were some of the medical specialists of ancient time in India. It was also India that offers the world the first hospital service around 320 B.C., when the great ruler Ashoka built the first hospital. It was specially planned to treat diseases (Parsad, 1992). The own indigenous system of medicine was developed in this country. The most vital of these are the Ayurveda and Unani method. The previous was developed in the early historical era by early Hindu physicians like Charaka and it was by and large pursued by the Hindus. The Unani method, on the other hand, was developed by the Mohammedan rulers of India and was usually pursued by the Muslims. The Allopathic method, which is comparatively novel to this country, was brought in by the Europeans. (Banerjee, 1976).