KOLHAPUR

Kolhapur’s healthcare landscape, like many other regions across India, is shaped by a mix of indigenous and Western medical practices. For centuries, indigenous knowledge and treatments provided by practitioners such as hakims and vaidyas have formed the foundation of healthcare in the region. 

Much of Kolhapur’s formal healthcare infrastructure began to take shape under colonial rule with the establishment of the Civil Hospital in 1847. It is important to note that at that time, Kolhapur functioned as a princely state, and the royal family played an important role in shaping the district’s health systems. Among them, Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj stands out for his contributions not only in social and educational reforms but also in healthcare. Over the decades, Kolhapur has witnessed steady growth in its medical facilities and services.

Kolhapur’s healthcare infrastructure aligns with the broader Indian model, which is characterized by a multi-tiered system comprising both public and private sectors. Currently, the public healthcare system is tiered into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Primary care is provided through Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres (PHCs), while secondary care is managed by Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Sub-District hospitals. Tertiary care, the highest level, includes Medical Colleges and District Hospitals. This system has been shaped and refined over time, influenced by national healthcare reforms. 

Supporting this structure is a network of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) who, as described by the National Health Mission, serve as “an interface between the community and the public health system.”

Kolhapur’s formal healthcare infrastructure, like much of India, has its origins in the colonial era, which laid the groundwork for the system in place today. The earliest notable institution is the Civil Hospital, established in 1847. In 1883, the King Albert Edward Hospital was constructed, later to be known as the Chhatrapati Pramilatai Raje Hospital (commonly referred to as CPR Hospital).

Locally called “Thorala Davakhana,” the CPR Hospital traces its origins to 1875, when its construction was undertaken to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales. It was subsequently renamed in honour of Chhatrapati Pramilatai Raje, daughter-in-law of the Kolhapur royal family. In the year 2000, CPR Hospital was formally affiliated with the Rajarshee Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College (see more below), which had been newly established at that time. The hospital serves not only Kolhapur but also neighbouring districts, including Sangli, Satara, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, and adjoining parts of South Karnataka, and remains among the largest public hospitals in the region.

Interestingly, historically, it is said that the hospital rendered its services free of cost, a policy that was encouraged by Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj. On his return from England, Shahu Maharaj initiated free medical treatment for all.

A progressive ruler and social reformer, Shahu Maharaj also founded Kolhapur’s first homeopathy clinic to treat epidemic diseases. According to Sudhakar Kashik (2020), this was India’s first publicly managed homeopathy hospital of its time. Now run by the Municipal Corporation, the clinic is known for charging a very nominal fee.

Over the years, public health infrastructure in the district began expanding. Additionally, in the 20th and 21st centuries, private hospitals also started to emerge in Kolhapur, with their establishment being driven by trusts, NGOs, and locals themselves.

Medical education and research are foundational to a district’s healthcare infrastructure. As Mathew Gerge (2023) aptly highlights, medical institutions often serve a “dual purpose,” which includes educating future healthcare professionals and providing healthcare services to the local population. The medical education landscape in Kolhapur spans multiple healthcare traditions such as allopathy and homeopathy, which in many ways capture India’s pluralistic healthcare traditions.

Rajarshee Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College, located in Kolhapur, was established in 2000. It is affiliated with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik. The college functions in conjunction with the Chhatrapati Pramilatai Raje Hospital, which traces its origins to the King Albert Edward Hospital, constructed in 1875 to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales.

The institution offers undergraduate medical training and conducts postgraduate programmes through the Diplomate of National Board (DNB), with specialisations in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, anaesthesia, paediatrics, and otorhinolaryngology. Additional training is provided in nursing, paramedical sciences, and allied health fields.

Jagadguru Panchacharya Education Society’s Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital is a homoeopathic medical institution located in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Established in 1984, the college is affiliated with the Central Council of Homoeopathy and approved by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It offers the Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) degree. In 2011, the college introduced postgraduate programmes (MD Hom.) in Practice of Medicine and Paediatrics.

The college operates a 40-bed hospital in Rukmini Nagar and maintains affiliations with municipal and super specialty hospitals in Kolhapur to support clinical training. Its library includes over 8,000 books, journals, and digital resources. The teaching faculty comprises specialists in homoeopathy and allied medical fields.

D. Y. Patil University in Kolhapur is a deemed Private University that offers a range of health-related programmes aimed at training professionals across various branches of medicine and allied sciences. Its Medical College provides undergraduate (MBBS) and postgraduate (MD, MS) medical education, along with fellowship options. 

The College of Nursing runs B.Sc., Post Basic B.Sc., and M.Sc. programmes to train nursing professionals. The university also includes a College of Physiotherapy and a College of Pharmacy, offering degrees in physiotherapy (B.P.Th., M.P.Th.) and pharmacy (D.Pharm, B.Pharm, Ph.D.), respectively. Supporting fields such as optometry, medical laboratory technology, radiography, and operating theatre technology are covered under the School of Allied Health Sciences. In addition, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research focuses on emerging areas like medical physics, regenerative medicine, and biotechnology, offering specialised postgraduate degrees.

Historically, before the advent of Western health care systems or the three-tiered healthcare infrastructure that exists today, people in the district relied on and made use of indigenous knowledge and medicine for their well-being.  When it comes to healthcare, India, for long, has been characterized by a pluralistic health tradition. Among the many medicine systems that have a long history in India and in Kolhapur, as locals say, are Ayurveda and Unani.

Siddhagiri Ayurdham is an Ayurvedic treatment centre located within Siddhagiri Hospital in the hillocks of Kanheri Math, Kolhapur. Established in 2010, the centre provides Panchakarma-based treatments and therapies. Services focus on Vikara Prashamanam (treatment of diseases) and Swasthya Rakshanam (maintenance of health). Therapies offered at the centre include Netra Tarpana (eye care), Jaloka Charaṇa (leech therapy), and Basti (enema).

This institutionalization of Ayurvedic knowledge represents one facet of Kolhapur’s medical heritage. In addition to such institutional efforts, traditional healing practices continue to persist at the household level. Home-based remedies and treatments passed down through generations remain an integral part of local healthcare culture. Historically, illnesses were often managed by local practitioners known as Vaidyas, using plant-based preparations and curated remedies.

A commonly recalled household tradition is the use of Aajicha Batwa, an informal, inherited collection of herbal and natural treatments used for minor ailments. Several traditional kadhas (herbal decoctions) continue to be used in Kolhapur homes, including Kadhiphal juice, Gavti chai, Kanthrog Nashak Kadha, Manashi Kadha, Rechak Kadha, Tulsi Ras, and Pittnashak Kadha.