When patients in rural areas need specialty medical care, they invariably have to seek it in cities. How then can district hospitals be upgraded to handle such cases? While improving infrastructure is important, it is equally necessary to enable MBBS physicians in rural areas to acquire specialized degrees where they are already located.

To this end, a tripartite effort in Karnataka has delivered beneficial results. Doctors are being successfully trained in district hospitals in specialties that matter with visible advantages for local populations.