Public Healthcare System In India (by Kiriti Dehingia) – APSC Mains Essay

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Public Healthcare System In India – APSC Mains Essay

(Essay submitted in APSC Mains Essay Writing Contest 2019 – Essay Topics for week 5)

 

Public Healthcare System In India by Kiriti Dehingia

Health is the real wealth of a society. Therefore, in India, primarily in order to focus on health care for British citizens, the modern public healthcare system was initiated during colonial period. After independence also, the government of India has been taking various steps to develop the public healthcare system till now.

The public healthcare system in India is organized into primary, secondary and tertiary levels. There are Sub-Centres(SCs), Mini Primary Health Centres (MPHCs) and Primary Health Centres(PHCs) at the primary level. Community Health Centres(CHCs) and smaller Sub-District Hospitals are the secondary level. The Medical Colleges and the District/ General Hospitals provide tertiary care.

An SC serves extremely rural areas having population of 5000 people (or 3000 in a remote and dangerous location). Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and Multipurpose Worker (MPW) are manned at HWCs. Recently, Community Health Officers (CHOs) are also being appointed at some SCs. Along with primary medical care and immunization, SCs also educate people about healthy habits.

MPHCs and PHCs are manned by Doctors, Pharmacists, Laboratory Technicians, General Nurse Midwives (GNMs), ANMs and other health workers. PHCs serve more developed rural areas having population of 30000 or more (or 20000 in remote areas). SCs refer patients to PHCs in case of complexity.

CHCs serve 120000 people in urban areas (or 80000 people in remote areas). Critical patients are referred from MPHCs and PHCs to CHCs.

Medical Colleges and district hospitals are the final referral units for the primary and secondary levels of the public healthcare system.

In order to improve the healthcare system in India, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been adopting various initiatives that affect all people  in India, e.g.: National Health Mission(NHM), Ayushman Bharat, National Mental Health Programme, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, National Leprosy Control Programme, DOTS, ASHA etc.. The National Health Policies are being published by the government for betterment of public health. The first of its kind was that of 1983 and the last being that of 2017. NHM is strengthening SCs as Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs).

In spite of all this, the health scenario in India is not up to the mark in comparison to the developed countries. Some of the causative factors of this deplorable condition are: low quality care, corruption, lack of accountability, unethical care, economic barriers to access the services, insufficient man-power etc.

If the public healthcare system has to be successful in India, the government along with general public and health professionals should come together. The health institutions should be staffed with sufficient man-power. The people in general and the students in particular should be taught how to remain healthy, maintain personal hygiene and about preventive measures against various diseases. All should keep in mind that –‘Prevention is better than cure’.

In conclusion, if all efforts from various angles are put together, the public healthcare system in India may be expected to compete with that in the developed countries, in near future.

[ 490 Words ]

 

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