Para-pharmacist
This program, to be performed under the auspices of the People's Health Center (also known as GK), will train village women as para-pharmacists. They will return to their villages, and practice there. The purpose of the program is to provide a counter-weight to the influence of poorly trained local pharmacists, salesmen, and ‘quack” (self-trained) doctors. Although some of these local people may be well-meaning, they all are tempted to sell the most expensive medicines instead of the most effective. Often, they counsel patients to take antibiotics for all medical conditions, instead of only those conditions for which antibiotics are appropriate. Incorrect antibiotic use has led to stronger strains of scourges such as tuberculosis (TB), and reduced the effectiveness of antibiotics for everyone.
GK has been training young men and women, but mostly young women, as paramedics for nearly 30 years. Its training program is internationally known and respected.