Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
India’s public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II:
Under India’s decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Explanation:
- India’s public healthcare system is organized into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
- At the primary level are Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) that provide basic curative and preventive care.
- However, the public healthcare system in India has historically been dominated by provisioning of medical care and neglected public health.
- The Indian public health sector encompasses 18% of total outpatient care and 44% of total inpatient care.
- The public healthcare system in rural areas has limited infrastructure and human resources.
- Due to the federalized system of government in India, the areas of governance and operations of the health system have been divided between the union and the state governments.
- Under India’s decentralized approach to healthcare delivery, the states are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
- However, because of severe shortages of staff and supplies at government facilities, many households seek care from private providers and pay out-of-pocket.
- For low-income people, the government recently launched the tax-financed National Health Protection Scheme (Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, or PM-JAY), which allows them to also get cashless secondary and tertiary care at private facilities.
- Therefore, both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
Inputs from Indian Society & Social Justice Mindmap Notes & Current Affairs Notes
