Here is the class notes from Class  NCERT Civics- Chapter 2: “Role of the Government in Health”

Health

• • • Health means our ability to remain free of illness and injuries
    • Health is not just the absence of disease. It includes:
      • Being free from illness
      • Mental well-being
      • Access to clean drinking water, nutritious food, proper housing, and sanitation
    • Community health means ensuring all people enjoy a good quality of life and healthcare.

Healthcare in India

• • • India has a large number of doctors, clinics and hospitals.
    • The country also has considerable experience and knowledge in running a public healthcare system.
    • This is a system of hospitals and health centres run by the government.
    • It has the ability to look after the health of a large section of its population scattered over hundreds of thousands of villages.
    • Our country has the money, knowledge and people with experience but cannot make the necessary healthcare available to all.

Public Health Services

• • • A chain of health centers and hospitals run by the government.
    • Available at different levels – village, town, and district.
      • Primary Health Centre (PHC) is a basic health unit in rural areas that provides essential medical services to people, especially in villages and small towns.
    • Funded through taxes paid by the public.

Main Features of Public Health Services

• Aim

  • • To provide quality healthcare to all, especially the poor and needy.
• Free or Low Cost
  • • Most services are free or very low-cost.
    • Ensures that even the economically weaker sections get treated.
• Preventive and Curative Services
  • • Preventive: Vaccination, disease prevention campaigns.
    • Curative: Treatment of illnesses and injuries.
• Focus on Community Health
  • • Control of diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, polio, etc.
    • Promotes health awareness and hygiene.

Private Health Services

• • • Healthcare facilities owned and run by individuals, companies, or trusts, not the government.
    • Aim is to earn profit by charging fees for medical services.
    • In the rural areas, one finds Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs).

Features of Private Health Services

• Paid Services
  • • All services are chargeable.
    • Costly and often not affordable for poor people.
• Better Facilities (in most cases):
  • • Clean environment, better infrastructure, shorter waiting time.
    • More staff and specialized doctors.
• Profit Motive:
  • • Run like a business — focus is on earning income.
    • Sometimes push for unnecessary tests or medicines to increase profits.

Healthcare and equality

Is adequate healthcare available to all?

• • • Private services are increasing but public services are not.
    • Private services are concentrated in urban areas.
    • Private services are expensive, many people cannot afford them.
    • In fact, barely 20 per cent of the population can afford all the medicines that they require during an illness.
    • Women’s health concerns are considered to be less important than the health of men in the family.
    • Many tribal areas have few health centres and they do not run properly.

The Kerala Experience

• • • In 1996, the Kerala government made some major changes in the state.
    • Forty per cent of the entire state budget was given to panchayats..
    • This made it possible for a village to make sure that proper planning was done for water, food, women’s development and education.
    • This meant that water supply schemes were checked, the working of schools and anganwadis was ensured and specific problems of the village were taken up.
    • Health centres were also improved.

The Costa Rican approach

• • Costa Rica is considered to be one of the healthiest countries in South America.
  • The main reason for this can be found in the Costa Rican Constitution.
  • Several years ago, Costa Rica took a very important decision and decided not to have an army.
  • This helped the Costa Rican government to spend the money that the army would have used, on health, education and other basic needs of the people.
  • The Costa Rican government provides basic services and amenities to all Costa Ricans.
  • For example, it provides safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition and housing.
  • Health education is also considered very important and knowledge about health is an essential part of education at all levels