Status of Rural Health Care: A Study of PHCs under Golagaon Block Primary Health Centre of Baksa District, Assam

Abstract

Indian rural health care system predominantly depends on the working of Primary Health Centre (PHC).A PHC is the first contact centre where the service of the medical officer is made available to the village community for curative, preventive, promotive and rehabilitative health care. Golagaon Block Primary Health Centre (BPHC) is one of the 6Block Primary Health Centres (BPHCs) under Baksa district. The objective of this study is to assess the status of health care infrastructure of 5 PHCs in view of IPHS 2012 and the status of utilization of the health care services.

The cross section data have been collected from the field survey of the entire five PHCs of Golagaon BPHC of Baksa district during July to September, 2015. Secondary data has been collected from publications of central and state governments and office of the District Programme Manager, Baksa. It is observed that in case of manpower, regular appointed Medical Officers (Allopathic) are not available in 40% PHCs and laboratory technician in 20% PHC. 40% PHCs are run by Ayurvedic doctors only. 60% PHCs do not have modern IPHS 2012 layout or modern designated building. It is observed that the provision of drinking water facility is not present in any one the 5 PHCs. 20% PHC is not having any source of power supply and 60% PHCs do not have generator or inverter/solar energy backup facility. Inpatient care service with4 beds is available in 20% of the PHCs.

This study suggests that physical infrastructure of the PHCs are required to be modernizedas per recommendation of Indian Public Health Standard (IPHS). It is recommended that to upgrade some selective PHCs with more manpower, equipment and provision of advance diagnostic facilities to outreach all the health care seekers for essential as well as desirable health services because Community Health Centre is not available in the study area.