The short answer
Comprehensive Rural Health Project (Jamkhed Model): what visitors should know first
This is a working organisation, not a tourist attraction. Visit only with prior permission from CRHP, and treat it as an educational call rather than a sightseeing stop; contact them well in advance to ask what is possible.
History and context
The story behind Comprehensive Rural Health Project (Jamkhed Model)
CRHP was founded in 1970 by Dr Raj and Dr Mabelle Arole. Its awards include the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1979 and the Padma Bhushan for Social Service in 1990. Julia Hospital was built in 2009.
Accounts of how the couple conceived the model differ in detail, so the early history is best checked with the organisation directly.
Useful facts
Comprehensive Rural Health Project (Jamkhed Model) facts at a glance
- Location
- Jamkhed, Ahilyanagar district
- Experience type
- Community health organisation
- Founded
- 1970, by Dr Raj and Dr Mabelle Arole
- Model
- Village health workers, mobile team and Julia Hospital
- Visit
- Only by prior arrangement
Why it matters
Why Comprehensive Rural Health Project (Jamkhed Model) is worth your time
Dr Raj and Dr Mabelle Arole began their work in Jamkhed in 1970 after concluding that treating patients in a hospital did little to improve the health of the wider community. They built a model around village health workers, usually women chosen by their own communities, and it has been influential in global public health thinking.
Published reports describe infant mortality falling from over 200 to about 20 per 1,000 live births under the programme, and researchers have linked its approach to the principles of the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata. For a visitor, it explains much of what Jamkhed is known for outside Maharashtra.
Highlights
What not to miss
- 01
The village health worker model
Local women trained to deliver basic care and health education in their own villages.
- 02
Julia Hospital
A 50-bed hospital built in 2009 with three operating theatres.
- 03
A global influence
The Jamkhed Model has shaped community health thinking worldwide.
Plan your visit
How to experience it
CRHP is not a place to turn up at. It is a working health organisation, and any visit should be requested in advance through its office. Ask what they can offer a small group of interested visitors, whether that is a talk, a campus walk or a visit to a village health worker.
The Jamkhed Model has three parts: village health workers chosen by their communities and trained by CRHP, a mobile health team that links villages with the campus, and Julia Hospital, built in 2009 with 50 beds and three operating theatres. The organisation also supports women's self-help groups, farmers' clubs, adolescent programmes, sanitation and watershed projects.
If you do visit, go as a learner. Dress modestly, ask before photographing patients or staff, and consider supporting the work through its official channels rather than leaving an ad hoc donation.
Plan with confidence
Small decisions that make the visit easier.
- Contact CRHP well in advance and do not turn up unannounced
- Dress modestly and ask before taking photographs
- Respect patient privacy at the hospital
- Support the work through its official channels
Know before you go
Timing, access and comfort
- Area
- Jamkhed town and surrounding villages, Ahilyanagar district
- Time needed
- Half a day if a visit is arranged
- Best time
- Any time outside the extreme summer heat; arrange in advance
- Walking level
- Easy
- Senior comfort
- The campus is a working hospital and training centre, with level walking in most places. Any visit is arranged in advance, so seating and access can be discussed beforehand.
- Tickets and access
- There is no public ticket. CRHP trains health workers and hosts students and researchers, but a visitor programme is not published; contact the organisation directly before you go.
Best for
Plan it with
Plan the practical part
Hotels near Comprehensive Rural Health Project (Jamkhed Model)
Staying close keeps journeys short — useful for early starts and for anyone who tires quickly.
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Travelling with parents?
The campus is a working hospital and training centre, with level walking in most places. Any visit is arranged in advance, so seating and access can be discussed beforehand.
Raahzo can arrange an arrival or day companion who handles tickets, queues and pacing, and keeps the family updated.
See concierge supportFAQs
What is the Jamkhed Model?
A community-based healthcare approach built on village health workers, a mobile health team and a referral hospital.
Can tourists visit CRHP?
CRHP is a working organisation with no published tourist programme. Contact them in advance to ask whether a visit is possible.
Who founded CRHP?
Dr Raj and Dr Mabelle Arole, in 1970.
Sources and further reading
Timings, fees and access rules change. Recheck with the official source before you travel.