ANALYSIS OF WORKING OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS OF INDIA

Abstract

In recent years there has been an acceptance of the important role of Primary Health centres. It helps in achieving the objectives equity, efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness of the health system. There by improvement in health and nutrition. Primary health care is essential health care based on practical scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology mode universally accessible to individuals in the community through then full participation. The primary health services are provided at the cost of that the community and country can afford at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-relevance and self- determination. India‟s primary health care system is based on primary health centres (PHC). It aims to take care of patients in early stage of the disease. Primary care physicians reduce costs and increases patient satisfaction with no average effects on quality of care or patient outcomes. The concept of Primary Health Centre (PHC) is not new to India. The Bhore Committee in 1946 gave the concept of a PHC as a basic health unit to provide as close to the people as possible, an integrated curative and preventive health care to the rural population with emphasis on preventive and promotive aspects of health care. The health planners in India have visualized the PHC and its Sub-Centres (SCs) as the proper infrastructure to provide health services to the rural population. The Central Council of Health at its first meeting held in January 1953 had recommended the establishment of PHCs in community development blocks to provide comprehensive health care to the rural population. These centres were functioning as peripheral health service institutions with little or no community involvement. Increasingly, these centres came under criticism, as they were not able to provide adequate health coverage, partly, because they were poorly staffed and equipped and lacked basic amenities.