Huge gaps seen in primary healthcare

New Delhi: Feb 26, 2010

Inadequate health infrastructure, in addition to shortage of trained personnel, has resulted in glaring gaps in health coverage and outreach of services, mainly in rural areas. The Economic Survey says India at present is short by 20,486 sub-centres, 4,477 primary health centres (PHCs) and 2,337 community health centres (CHCs). What’s worse is that basic facilities like proper buildings, hygienic conditions, electricity and water supply were still found absent in many existing health centres with many PHCs and CHCs not providing even the guaranteed services such as in-patient services, operation theatres, labour rooms, pathology tests, X-Ray facilities and emergency care. High absenteeism among personnel manning PHCs and CHCs is also a major bottleneck.

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