{"id":59905,"date":"2024-08-16T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/?post_type=feature&p=59905"},"modified":"2026-01-15T07:58:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T02:28:05","slug":"idr-interviews-dr-narendra-gupta","status":"publish","type":"feature","link":"https:\/\/idronline.org\/kn-in\/features\/health\/idr-interviews-dr-narendra-gupta\/","title":{"rendered":"IDR Interviews | Dr Narendra Gupta"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Narendra Gupta is a community health physician and founding member of <\/em>Prayas<\/em><\/a>, a nonprofit based in Rajasthan. He has approximately 40 years of experience in working with marginalised communities in Rajasthan on health, education, and livelihood. He is also one of the national organisers of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyaan<\/a>, a movement that advocates for free healthcare in Rajasthan.<\/em><\/p>

Dr Narendra had a key role in designing the National Rural Health Mission<\/a> framework, which helped define the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in health. He was also a member of the 12th five-year plan working group, where he focused on drugs and food security. Additionally, he played an important part in the launch of the Nishulk Dava Yojana (<\/em>free medicine scheme<\/em><\/a>) in Rajasthan.<\/em><\/p>

In this conversation with IDR, Dr Narendra talks about the state of healthcare in Rajasthan, how policies such as the National Rural Health Mission and Right to Health<\/a> came into being, the challenges that the healthcare sector still faces, and his involvement in all of these.<\/em><\/p>

\"What<\/a><\/div>

1. From doctor to activist<\/h3>

How Dr Narendra Gupta decided to give up his career as a doctor and move to a village in Chittorgarh district, Rajasthan, to work on community healthcare and education.<\/p>

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