Page 124 - Journeys Through Society-7

Health does not only include physical fitness, but also
mental well- being. When we are free from anxiety,
fear and are physically fit, only then can we be termed
as healthy.

Good Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that
good health is one of the fundamental rights of every
human being. It should be made attainable to every
human being without any distinction.

There are various aspects of health which form part of
our daily life. In order to be active and to be without
mental strain, we require good food, nutrition, clean Government Hospital
drinking water and a pollution-free environment. All
The health services provided by the state government
these are integral to ensuring good health.
reach us through a chain of health centres. At the
Healthcare Resources in India village level, there is usually a small health centre
where minor illnesses can be treated. The village
Article 21 of the Constitution of India imposes
health centre is under the supervision of a primary
obligations on the State to safeguard the life of every
health centre (PHC). A PHC supervises the health
person. Thus, public health is a concern of both the
centres of several villages. PHCs have qualified
central and state government. Our government
doctors. They refer seriously ill patients to bigger
policies stress that the central government should
health centre such as the district hospital, where
coordinate the implementation of healthcare
specialised facilities for testing and treatment are
measures with the states and should jointly share the
available. Cities usually have large government
expenditure with the states.
hospitals where all kinds of illnesses—minor and
Wow Fact major—can be treated. Many state governments
provide mobile medical vans which can reach remote
India had a total of 43,486 private hospitals areas that do not have permanent health centres.
with 1.18 million beds, 59,264 ICUs and
29,631 ventilators in 2019. Public health services are free or affordable. But, as
they serve huge numbers of people, they may be
affected by shortages and delays.
The government is responsible for providing quality
healthcare services to all its citizens, especially to the
poor and the disadvantaged. The social and economic
conditions of the people need to be addressed, along
with an overhaul of healthcare facilities, in order to
improve the health of people at large.

Healthcare is provided in India via the following
modes :

• Public health services • Private health services

Public Health Services Primary Health Centre
Healthcare programmes are implemented by the
Private Health Services
central government in coordination with the state
Besides public health services, various private health
governments. The central government also sponsors
services are also available. Many doctors run their
most of the government hospitals in big cities.
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