Role of the Government in Health

Define Public:
Public is an activity or service that is meant for all people in the country
and is mainly organised by the government. This includes schools,
hospitals, telephone services, etc. People can demand these services and
also raise questions about their non-functioning.
Define Private:
Private is an activity or service that is organised by an individual or
company for their own profit.
Define medical tourists:
Medical tourists refer to foreigners who come to this country specifically
for medical treatment at hospitals that offer worldclass facilities at a
lower cost than what they would have to pay in their own countries.
What are Communicable diseases?
Communicable diseases are diseases that are spread from one person to
another in many ways such as through water, food , air, etc.
OPD: This is the short form for Out Patient Department. This is where
people are first brought in and treated in a hospital without being
admitted to any special ward.
What is Health?
Health means our ability to remain free of illness and injuries.
It means to be active and in good spirits in whatever we may be doing.
It isnt healthy to be dull, inactive, anxious or scared for long stretches
of time.
What are the requirements to be healthy?
Clean drinking water
Adequate nutrition
Hygienic food
A pollution free environment
Access to good health care services
What are the factors that affect the health?
1. Availability of clean drinking water.
2. Pollution free environment.
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3. Adequate and nutritious food to eat.

What is the status of healthcare in India? (the aspects of healthcare

in India.)
1. India has the largest number of medical colleges in the world and is
among the largest producers of doctors.
2. There has been a substantial increase in the number of hospitals from
1950 to 2000.
3. India is the 4th largest producer of medicines in the world and is also a
large exporter of medicines.
4. Most doctors settle in urban areas and the number of doctors with
respect to the population is much less in rural areas.
5. About 5 lakh people die from Tuberculosis every year.
6. Almost 2 million cases of malaria are reported every year.
7. Half of all children in India do not get adequate food to eat and are
undernourished.
8.
Mention positive as well as negative aspects of healthcare in India.
Positive aspects of healthcare in India:
1. India has the largest number of medical colleges in the world and is
among the largest producers of doctors.
2. There has been a substantial increase in the number of hospitals from
1950 to 2000.
3. India is the 4th largest producer of medicines in the world and is also a
large exporter of medicines.
Two negative aspects of healthcare in India:
1. Most doctors settle in urban areas and the number of doctors with
respect to the population is much less in rural areas.
2. About 5 lakh people die from Tuberculosis every year.
3. Almost 2 million cases of malaria are reported every year.
4. Half of all children in India do not get adequate food to eat and are
undernourished.
5. Unavailability of clean drinking water.
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What facilities are required to prevent and treat illness?

Or
What are the different ways through which the government can
take steps to provide healthcare for all? Discuss.
To provide healthcare for all, the government can provide facilities such as
health centres, hospitals, laboratories, ambulance services, blood banks
etc. In order to need to run these facilities we need health workers,
Nurses, Qualified doctors and other health professionals. We also need
medicines and equipments that are necessary for treating patients.

In this chapter you have read that health is a wider concept than
illness. Look at this quote from the Constitution and explain the
terms living standard and public health in your own words.
Living standard means the condition of the surroundings one lives in.
Public health refers to the measures which the government and the
people take to ensure that all people enjoy a basic minimum level of
health.
What are the two types of healthcare services in our country?
1. Public healthcare services.
2. Private healthcare services.
Explain Public healthcare services.
It is a system of hospitals and healthcares run by the government. They
cover both rural and urban areas to provide treatment to all kind of
problems.
What kind of Public health services are available at the village
level?
At the village level there are health centers where there is usually a nurse
and a village health worker. They are trained in dealing with common
illnesses and work under the supervision of doctors at the Primary Health
Center (PHC).
Why are Public Health services so called?

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1. In order to fulfill its commitment of providing healthcare to all citizens,

the government has established these hospitals and health centers.
2. The resources needed to run these services are obtained from the
money that we, the public,
pay to the government as taxes. Hence, such facilities are meant for
everyone.
What are the most important aspects of the public health system?
Or
What are the functions of public health service?
1. The public health system is meant to provide quality healthcare
services either free or at low cost, so that even the poor can seek
treatment.
2. The public health system is is to take action to prevent the spread of
diseases such as TB, malaria, jaundice, cholera, diarrhoea etc. This
has to be organized by the government with the participation of people
otherwise it is not effective.

Mention the constitutional provisions regarding the healthcare in

India.
1. According to our constitution, it is primary duty of the government to
ensure the welfare of the people and provide health care facilities to all.
2. The government must safeguard the Right of Life of every person.
3. It is the duty of the government to provide the necessary health
services including treatment of in emergency situations.
What are private health facilities?
1. It refers to the health facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, clinics etc
that are privately owned.
2. These are the health facilities that are not owned and controlled by the
government.
3. In private facilities the patients have to pay a lot of money for the
services that they use.

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What kind of Private Health facilities are available in rural and

urban areas?
1. In rural areas, one finds Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs).
2. Urban areas have large number of doctors, many of them providing
specialized services at their hospitals and nursing homes. There are many
laboratories that do tests and offer special facilities such as X-ray,
ultrasound, etc.
What differences do you find between private and public health
services in you area? Use the following table to compare and
contrast these.
Facilit
y

Cost of
services

Availability of services

Private High

Offer special facilities such as X-ray,

ultrasound

Public

Services are available with difficulty

Low

Improvement in water and sanitation can control many diseases.

Explain with the help of examples.
Improvement in water and sanitation can control many diseases. This
statement is true because many people suffer from water-borne diseases.
Diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, and cholera which cause many deaths
can be prevented if clean drinking water is provided and sanitation
facilities are looked after.
What are the three factors that prevent people from accessing
medical treatment?
Poverty or lack of resources to get treatment
Considering womens health less important than that of men
Lack of properly functioning health centres in tribal areas

Explain the disadvantages of private health services.

1. They are concentrated only in urban areas.
2. The cost of treatment and medicines in these facilities is high, which
causes great hardships ( suffering) to poor.
3. They encourage incorrect medical practices like prescribing
unnecessary medicines.
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What is the main paradox of healthcare in India? (Paradox

impossibility)
The main paradox of public healthcare in India is that despite having
money, knowledge and experienced people, healthcare is not available to
all people.
Mention three steps taken by the government of Kerala to improve
healthcare system.
1. Forty percent of the state budget will be allocated to the panchayats.
2. This made it possible for a village to make sure that proper planning is
done for water, food, womens development and education.
3. Water supply schemes are checked and health centres are improved
What is the main cause of inequality in access to healthcare?
Poverty is the main cause of inequality in access to healthcare. People
who are poor cannot afford to receive private healthcare facilities because
of high cost of treatment and medicines.
What are the causes of illness among people who are poor?
1. Lack of nourishment
2. Lack of access to basic necessities like drinking water, housing and
clean surroundings
What steps did Costa Rica take to ensure proper healthcare?
To ensure proper healthcare, Costa Rica decided not to have an army. The
government of Costa Rica instead spent the money, which the army would
have used, on health, education and other basic needs of the people.

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The role of government in Health

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