The Community Role of Indigenous Healers An Exploration of Healing Values in Maharashtra

Recent policies for mental health services 1 in India have tended to frame indigenous healers between two modernist but contradictory discourses. One imposes a 'service-providing' role to them, including them under the Mental Health Act, a medical Act which governs mental hospitals. The ot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHealth Providers in India pp. 161 - 181
Main Authors Lohokare, Madhura, Davar, Bhargavi V.
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 2010
Edition1
Subjects
Folic Acid Tablets
Health Seeking Behaviour
Young Man
HIV Testing Facility
Male Health Workers
Kartar Singh Committee
Comprehensive EmOC
MoHFW
FRU
Mother Son Relationship
Tamil Nadu
STI
ICTC
Indigenous Healers
Indigenous Healing Systems
PLHIV
Healing Rituals
TBA Training
Violating
OBC Quota
OBC Reservation
Indian Nursing Council
CBHI
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Summary:Recent policies for mental health services 1 in India have tended to frame indigenous healers between two modernist but contradictory discourses. One imposes a 'service-providing' role to them, including them under the Mental Health Act, a medical Act which governs mental hospitals. The other, typified by a Maharashtra Bill on the eradication of superstition, completely denies them any validity, rejecting their knowledge systems as superstitious and unscientific. Neither of these two contradictory constructions adequately captures the community roles and healing practices of indigenous healers.
ISBN:0415579775
9781138664883
9780415579773
113866488X
DOI:10.4324/9780203150986-12