Role of the Government in Health

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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 beingadmitted 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.

1The role of government in Health by S P A Puviarasu


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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 4

th

largest producer of medicines in the world and is also alarge 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 4thlargest 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 areundernourished.

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 banksetc.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 ofdiseases 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

servicesAvailability of services

Private High Offer special facilities such as X-ray,ultrasound

Public Low Services are available with difficulty

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 treatmentConsidering omen!s health less im"ortant than that of men#ack of "ro"erly 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% hich

causes great hardshi"s & su'ering( to "oor$3.They encourage incorrect medical "ractices like "rescribing

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 andclean 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 Ricainsteadspent the money, which the army would

have used, on health, education and other basic needs of the people.

*The role of government in Health by S P A Puviarasu

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Role of the Government in Health