YAVATMAL

Yavatmal’s healthcare landscape, like many other regions across India, is shaped by a mix of indigenous and Western medical practices.  For centuries, communities in the district depended on local healers such as hakims and vaidyas, who treated illnesses using plants, herbs, and other resources found in the surrounding forests and fields. This use of local knowledge and natural remedies formed the base of early healthcare in Satara before formal hospitals were established. Over time, these practices continued alongside the introduction and expansion of more specialised medical services.

Similar to other regions in India, Yavatmal’s healthcare infrastructure follows a multi-tiered system that involves both public and private players. The public healthcare system is structured into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Primary care is provided through Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres (PHCs), secondary care is managed by Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Sub-District hospitals, while tertiary care, the highest level, is delivered through Medical Colleges and District Hospitals.

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.” Over time, this multi-layered healthcare model has been continuously shaped and refined by national healthcare policies and reforms, with the aim of improving service delivery and health outcomes across regions.

Much of the district’s formal healthcare infrastructure took shape during the British Raj, which laid the base for primary and secondary care. It is noted in the district Gazetteer (1974) that, “in 1908, the district had ten hospitals and dispensaries with accommodation for indoor patients…all the dispensaries were established by the Government.”

This situation gradually began to change over time as the public system expanded, and by the 20th and 21st centuries, private hospitals also began to appear in Yavatmal, often established by local trusts, NGOs, and community initiatives. However, as in many parts of India, the spread of healthcare services has remained uneven across the district. A 2004 study noted “significant deficiencies in primary healthcare, especially in rural areas.” The district’s Programme Implementation Plan (2018) stated that there is no separate district hospital in Yavatmal, with the Government Medical College functioning as one of the main public facilities. Additionally at that time, there were three Sub-District Hospitals located at Pusad, Darwha, and Pandharkawada.

Medical education and research are foundational to a district’s healthcare infrastructure. As Mathew Gerge aptly highlights, medical institutions often serve a “dual purpose,” which includes educating future healthcare professionals and providing healthcare services to the local population. In Yavatmal, this dual role is reflected in the presence of institutions that help address both the need for skilled healthcare workers and the ongoing demand for accessible medical care in the region.

Government Medical College

In the late 1980s, the Shri Vasant Rao Medical College was established to help meet the need for medical education facilities in the Vidarbha region. The college is affiliated with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), which is based in Nashik.

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 Yavatmal, as locals say, are Ayurveda and Unani. Alongside these established systems, numerous indigenous communities have developed and maintained their distinct medical practices across generations. What makes these medical systems particularly remarkable is how they have been shaped by their specific environmental contexts, cultural frameworks, and traditional beliefs.

The Kolam Community and Their Healing Traditions

Across India, numerous indigenous communities have developed unique medical systems, and one such community in Yavatmal are the Kolams. Originally from the Kolammal hills of South India, the Kolams have settled in regions like Yavatmal, Chandrapur, and Nanded in Maharashtra and are recognized as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).

The community’s knowledge system is both ethnomedical and ritualistic. In a journal article, Dr. Gunjan Singh documents this practice, noting how the “Kolam tribe has been using plants, leaves, roots, mantras and rituals for healing for many hundreds of years.” Singh’s paper catalogs various herbs and practices utilized by the community. Among these is Bauhinia spp., known locally as Kaur or Kavid. The bark of this tree is commonly combined with other plant materials to prepare therapeutic remedies, particularly for treating jaundice, a practice that has been passed down through generations.

These medicinal preparations are prepared and administered by Kolam healers, who are the primary custodians of this knowledge. Notably, the training of Kolam healers follows a generally structured path and is attuned to local environments. In Yavatmal, for instance, Singh describes that “recognition of newly grown plants becomes easier after the rains,” and it is “during this time, the healers learn how to identify the parts of the plant to be used, the methods of usage, and the diseases they can treat.” The training period of the healers usually runs from Guru Purnima to Nag Panchami.

The learning process spans several years, typically beginning in childhood, and progresses from plant identification to medicine preparation for specific ailments. Interestingly, Singh notes that "in the Kolam tribe, it is believed that some medicinal plants lose their healing power if their names are spoken aloud or if their preparation methods are revealed." Because of this, many healers keep their knowledge closely guarded.

Religious and Cultural Practices

As mentioned above, the medical practices of the Kolam community are also ritualistic in nature. In some ways, then, their practices and understanding of illnesses intermingle with religion and folklore. Singh, explains in the study that, “the Kolam tribe believes that diseases occur only when the deities are displeased.” To prevent this from happening, each settlement of the community conducts “collective religious practices” throughout the year. As Singh notes, these rituals are meant “to prevent the entry of diseases into the Kolam settlement.”

The Pola month holds special significance in their healing traditions, as the community believes this is when colds, coughs, and fevers are most common. During this time, settlements come together to perform protective rituals centered around devi Mauli. The ceremony involves bathing Mauli with water infused with holy basil, turmeric, and neem leaves, before decorating her with coconuts and flowers. According to Singh, “then, the same water is distributed in front of the village square for everyone in the village to drink. This ritual is believed to ward off diseases.”

The connection between rituals and healing practices is common among ancient healing systems. The botanical knowledge and spiritual connections embedded in the medical traditions of the Kolams highlight that their approach to healing and healthcare is both holistic and deeply rooted in community. In 1996, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) described traditional healing as “practices designed to promote mental, physical and spiritual well being that are based on beliefs [,] which go back to the time before the spread of western scientific bio-medicine.” The traditions of the Kolams represents one such traditional healing system that exists in Yavatmal district.