Page 43 - Coal Quality Testing

- through observation or apprenticeship. a framework for accreditation of training effective and efficient strategies to
It would indeed be a civilizational loss providers, with the recognition that provide low cost primary healthcare to
to lose this rich heritage of the rural managing contemporary public health every villager, moving a step forward
communities of India. issues might require formal training. The towards achieving Universal Health
process ensures a robust mechanism Coverage in the country. In the long term,
With this realization, a pilot project was of assessment that includes the the scheme also holds the potential to aid
conceived, formulated and implemented identification of medicinal plants, the in laying down strong risk management
during the years 2010 – 2012 by the Indira rationale behind the formulations with strategies within India’s health policy
Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) respect to treating a specific ailment etc. landscape to deal with epidemics.
with support from the Quality Council
of India (QCI) and the Foundation for
Revitalization of Local Health Traditions
(FRLHT), under the mentorship of the
Ministry of AYUSH. The objective was
to create a uniform and standardized
competence framework, perhaps for
the first time in the world for Voluntary
Certification of the TCHPs that manage
various streams of health services
(midwifery, herbal remedies, bone
setting, ethno-veterinary care, skin and
liver disorders and so on) based on their
traditional knowledge, experience and With 125+ TCHP certifications and Through numerous awareness meetings
expertise. counting, the Project Analysis and and sensitization workshops, involving
Documentation Division (PADD)/QCI is on State Biodiversity Boards, Academicians,
The framework for Third-Party a mission to integrate traditional health Biodiversity Management Committees,
Certification was designed broadly with mainstream healthcare by ensuring Certification Bodies, Training Institutes,
following the international norms as per quality in personnel competence. and the TCHPs themselves, we aim
ISO 17024 for Personnel Certification, to create an ecosystem of quality in
after a series of deliberations with The VCS-TCHP assists TCHPs living in traditional healthcare services.
various stakeholders. Further, Minimum rural areas to get their skill set assessed
Standards of Competence (MSCs) against a MSC framework which has the It is the unrelenting quest of QCI to
were developed for jaundice, common flexibility to accommodate a diversity of preserve traditional ecological and
ailments, poisonous bites, bone setting, knowledge and skills in various streams healthcare knowledge by creating
arthritis and traditional birth attendants. of traditional healthcare practices. third-party assessment frameworks that
Once the mother document for the This scheme also helps document and are assessed by peer review systems.
MSCs was developed, it was translated preserve and promote these traditions These steps help us reinforce our rich
into vernacular languages for ease of of healthcare practices. Certified traditional and cultural heritage that
local understanding and information TCHPs report an enhanced sense of self are environment friendly and have
dissemination. confidence to provide quality healthcare been validated over generations by
services. communities.
The successful implementation of the
pilot project resulted in an astounding The scheme contributes to all the One runs the risk of eroding our
517 TCHP certifications across 6 states, three strategic sectors proposed for traditional knowledge systems, if
which laid the groundwork for QCI to Member States in the WHO Traditional due credence is not extended to
operate a Voluntary Certification Scheme Medicine Strategy (2014-2023): “(i) build such healthcare practices in our rural
(VCS) for TCHPs based on a third-party a knowledge base..; (ii) strengthen the communities.
personnel certification process. In quality assurance..; (iii) promote universal
2016, QCI committed itself to not only health coverage...” In line with this, VCS- If there’s any heritage we must preserve
certifications, but also towards creating TCHP certification can help formulate for posterity, it is right here! | w w w . qcin. or g | w w w . qcin. or g

REFERENCES https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/why-india-s-local-health-traditions-need-to-be-formalised-58315
https://www.who.int/medicines/publications/traditional/trm_strategy14_23/en/
http://nbaindia.org/uploaded/pdf/PBR%20Format%202013.pdf
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