Christened as "BSc in Community Health", the course would be imparted through Medical Council of India (MCI) recognised rural health schools to be set up in villages in conjunction with sistrict hospitals.
Sources said once the applicants graduate, they will be appointed solely in the public health system and will be called community health officers.
The important part is that these officers will not be doctors and will not have the permission to treat any patient in the sub-centre where they will be posted.
"Community health officers would be above ANMs and nurses and below doctors. They will serve as the first point of contact for any patient in a health sub centre and will treat common ailments for which villagers today have to go to the nearest district hospital which could be several kilometers away.
"These officers would be clinically trained to prescribe generic medicines but can't offer inpatient treatment.
"They would have to refer sick patients to the district hospitals," MCI sources said.
At a meeting chaired by Health Secretary PK Pradhan today, the course was granted in principle approval and the Ministry would examine procedures whereby it can roll out the course from 2013 across India.
At present India is short of 8.5 lakh doctors and the patient doctor ratio is a poor 1:1000.
The Ministry sources said it would explore the legal mechanisms whereby MCI can recognise the curriculum of BSC Community medicine.
