The Primary Health Care (PHC) strategy has proved to be a turning point in the history of health care policy. care process.

PHC comprises eight elements:
ΓΌ education concerning prevailing health problems and the methods of preventing and controlling them, maternal and child health care, including family planning,immunization against major infectious diseases, prevention and control of locally endemic diseases, provision of essential drugs.

PHC policy formulation: How was the PHC policy formulated? What was the process of formulating PHC policy, the content of the PHC policy etc. PHC policy implementation: How are the PHC policies being implemented? PHC resources: What resources are available for PHC implementation, for example human and financial resources, as well as PHC physical resources and structures?

PHC monitoring and review: How are PHC policy and strategies being monitored and reviewed?
Health trends: What are the trends of the main health and health-related challenges?

PROCESS
A Review of the Rural Health Care System in India:
Rural Health Care System – the structure and current scenario

Centre Population Norms
Sub-Centre
5000
3000
Primary Health Centre
30,000
20,000
Community Health Centre

Sub-Centres (SCs)
The Sub-Centre is the most peripheral and first contact point between the primary health care system and the community. One Lady Health Worker (LHV) is entrusted with the task of supervision of six Sub-Centres. The Sub-Centres are provided with basic drugs for minor ailments needed for taking care of essential health needs of men, women and children. There are 146026 Sub Centres functioning in the country as on September, 2005 as compared to 142655 in September, 2004.

Primary Health Centres (PHCs)
The PHCs were envisaged to provide an integrated curative and preventive health care to the rural population with emphasis on preventive and promotive aspects of health care. The PHCs are established and maintained by the State Governments under the Minimum Needs Programme (MNP)/ Basic Minimum Services Programme (BMS). The activities of PHC involve curative, preventive, primitive and Family Welfare Services.

Community Health Centres (CHCs)
Source: Tafsirul Mazahir
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