The editorial of The Hindu titled “PHC doctors — a case where the caregivers need care” highlights the dire working conditions and significant burnout faced by primary health care (PHC) doctors in India, who are the essential, yet overwhelmed, frontline providers of rural healthcare.
The context involves extreme clinical loads, administrative burdens, and a lack of resources, forcing these doctors to work under constant pressure without adequate support or time for professional growth.
The article argues that the physical and emotional well-being of these PHC doctors is a foundational requirement for a resilient healthcare system, demanding that they be valued and supported to meet the goals of universal healthcare.
The conclusion suggests that achieving universal healthcare requires India to shift towards a system that supports these frontline doctors’ well-being and addresses their systemic burdens.
- For millions of people living in remote areas (hinterlands) of India, Primary Health Centre (PHC) doctors are the only accessible source of medical care.
- PHC doctors act as a bridge between the health system and the last person in a remote village.
- A Primary Health Center (PHC) typically serves a diverse population of approximately 30,000 people, including women, children, the elderly with chronic diseases, and other vulnerable groups. In hilly and tribal areas, this number is approximately 20,000; in urban areas, it reaches 50,000.
- The work of Primary Health Center (PHC) doctors is based on the fundamental principles of primary health care: equitable access, community participation, inter-sectoral coordination, and practical use of technology, which is reflected not only in policy documents but also in people’s real lives.
- The responsibilities of Primary Health Center (PHC) doctors go beyond screening. They coordinate vaccination campaigns, conduct door-to-door surveys, manage vector control, collaborate with medical officers from the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) to run school health programs, conduct health education sessions and respond to regional outbreaks.
- Primary Health Centre (PHC) doctors today maintain over 100 physical registers: outpatient records, maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, medicine lists and hygiene, among others.
- To this, digital systems have been added: the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP), Population Health Registry (PHR), Ayushman Bharat Portal, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Health Management Information System (HMIS), and UWIN for immunisation.
- The Lancet has described physician burnout as a global public health crisis, and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) considers it an occupational phenomenon, emphasizing the need for not only clinical, but also systemic solutions.
- A meta-analysis in the World Health Organization (WHO) Bulletin found that in low- and middle-income countries, approximately one-third of primary care physicians report emotional exhaustion.
- The “25 by 5” campaign, run by the US National Library of Medicine and Columbia University, aims to reduce physician documentation time by 75% by 2025. India should adopt similar, implementable goals.
- Primary health care is the gateway to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), enshrined in Target 3.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Without strong primary health centers, SDG 3, which aims to ensure health and well-being for all, will remain aspirational.
01Primary Health Center (PHC) |
Primary Health Centers (PHCs) are the cornerstone of India’s rural public healthcare system, designed to provide accessible and integrated curative and preventive services. First envisioned by the Bhore Committee in 1946, the network has evolved significantly, particularly with the 2018 launch of the Ayushman Bharat initiative, which upgraded existing facilities into Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs).
Key Services Provided at PHCs
Government Initiatives ⇒ Ayushman Bharat – Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs)
⇒ The National Health Mission (NHM):
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Author: currentaffairs4upsc
UPSC