Background

For over a decade, BHS has been providing responsive and empathetic primary healthcare to communities in south Rajasthan. We have been working to address the determinants of health in the region and provide services that overcome the barriers to achieving them. Our network of AMRIT Clinics offers high-quality primary healthcare to approximately 100,000 individuals, with a focus on serving the needs of 90% of the tribal population.

BHS is a leading voice on primary healthcare in India. We conduct rigorous research, synthesize evidence, and advocate for policies that support equitable and responsive healthcare for marginalized communities. Our work has been extensively documented in over 100 peer-reviewed publications, articles, and blogs (view our resources and publications here.) We also actively engage in implementation research to strengthen public health systems.

Building upon this foundation, BHS has set up the Centre for Primary Healthcare (CPHC), a hub for knowledge generation, partnership building, and advocacy to improve the health of marginalized populations.

Vision:
A “Place that makes freely available knowledge, tools, training, and technology to design, implement, and evaluate primary healthcare services for the marginalized.”

Mission:

• Build ethical and skilled human resources for primary healthcare of the marginalized.
• Serve as a knowledge hub on responsive primary healthcare for last-mile communities.
• Empower other organizations to provide high-quality primary healthcare services.

Organization:
The CPHC operates through three key verticals:

    • Research and Development: Conducting both internal and external research on critical primary healthcare issues, including human resources for health, health system strengthening, early childhood care, adolescent health, and more. This vertical will also identify and deploy appropriate healthcare technologies for remote and rural settings and develop tools and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to support other organizations in designing and implementing effective primary healthcare solutions.

To learn more about our research on critical primary healthcare areas, checkout a series of policy briefs here.

Current Projects:
Over the next three years, the CPHC will be involved in a significant Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Implementation Research project aimed at strengthening the primary healthcare system in Salumbar district. Working closely with government systems and teams, this project will focus on improving healthcare delivery :

    • Project EQUIP: In partnership with IIM-Udaipur, this project focuses on optimizing Health and Wellness Centers and enhancing the capacity of healthcare teams to deliver quality care.
  • Training and Mentorship: Providing comprehensive training programs (clinical, management, and leadership skills, along with broader perspectives on health, healthcare, and social development) for primary healthcare providers and leaders. These programs will be made accessible to professionals from other non-profit organizations, government agencies, and young doctors and nurses interested in pursuing careers in primary healthcare for marginalized populations.

Through various initiatives such as Travel Fellowship, Nurse Fellowship and Rural Sensitization Programs, we identify, mentor and train healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge.

In 2023, BHS supported Aarohi, an NGO based in Uttarakhand to set up an AMRIT Clinic in Suni Village, Nainital. The clinic is serving a population of 50,000 across 78 gram panchayats. Since its opening members from our team have visited the clinic to provide help, support, and guidance to the local healthcare teams, helping to enhance the quality of healthcare services delivered to the community.

  • Advocacy and Partnerships: Building and nurturing collaborative relationships with community-based organizations, government agencies (both state and national), academic institutions, and health provider associations to advance primary healthcare for marginalized communities. This vertical will focus on generating evidence, testing innovative approaches, and sharing best practices, tools, and processes.

We have forged partnerships with other organizations for scaling up the impact: Primary Health Care Initiative is a partnership between BHS and Indian Institute of Management-Udaipur (IIMU) for generating, synthesizing and disseminating knowledge on primary healthcare. To strengthen discourse in this area, we have launched a webinar series, available here.

BHS is a also a founding member of Equitable Health Care Access Consortium (EHAC), a consortium of organizations that practice and advance equitable access to healthcare, and includes government, private and not-for-profit organizations.