Class 7 Civics Chapter 2 Notes - Role of the Government in Health

Introduction

In a democracy, people have the right to ask the government to take care of their needs and well-being. This includes making sure there are good schools, hospitals, jobs, homes, and basic services like roads and electricity. In this chapter, we will look closely at what "health" means and the challenges that come with it. By examining the different sections of this chapter, we can see how closely health is connected to what the government is supposed to do for its people.

What is Health?

Health means our ability to remain free of illness and injuries. Besides disease, other factors affect our health, such as dullness, inactivity, anxiety, or being scared for long periods.

In other words, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or illness. It includes taking care of one’s body through proper nutrition, exercise, and hygiene, as well as having access to healthcare services when needed.  

Healthcare in India

Let's examine some of the aspects of healthcare in India. 

• To prevent and treat illnesses, we need appropriate healthcare facilities such as health centers, hospitals, laboratories for testing, ambulance services, blood banks, etc. These facilities provides the care and services that a patient needs. 
• To run such facilities, we need health workers such as nurses, doctors, and other health professionals who can advise, diagnose and treat illnesses. 
• We also need medicines and equipment that are necessary for treating patients. 

• India has a very good healthcare system, with the highest number of medical colleges, the number of doctors, and a growing healthcare chain. 
• Along with this, India is the largest producer of medicine, which has contributed to India's healthcare system.
• But most doctors settle in urban areas. Therefore, rural people has to travel long distances for treatments.
•  Although number of healthcare facilities has increased in number, yet there is no decrease in the number of people affected by tuberculosis and malaria. 
• Apart from this, we cannot provide clean water to all citizens; half of the children do not get adequate food and water.
• To overcome such difficulties, healthcare resources ought to be better. The healthcare system has the knowledge and experience required for successful execution.

Role of government 

According to our Constitution, it is the primary duty of the government to ensure the welfare of the people and provide health care facilities to all. The role of the government in health is vital in ensuring the well-being of its citizens. It involves several key responsibilities:-

• Health system. Health system strengthening.
• Regulation and enforcement in public health. 
• Health promotion. 
• Human resource development and capacity building. 
• Public health policy.
• Scope for further action in the health sector.

Cost Of Cure

• It discusses the financial burden involved in accessing healthcare services and highlights how medical treatments, hospital visits, and medicines can be expensive, especially for poor families. 
• Many people cannot afford private healthcare and rely on public health services, which may not always be adequately equipped. 
• This section emphasizes the importance of government support in ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare for all, to reduce the financial strain on individuals and families seeking medical care.  

Public and Private Healthcare

The health care facilities are divided into two categories: 

1. Public Health Services
2. Private Health Facilities

Public Health Services  

The public health service is a chain of government-run health centers and hospitals. They are linked together so that they cover both rural and urban areas. 

• At the village level, there are health centers with 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 Care (PHC). Such a center covers many villages in rural areas.
• At the district level, a District Hospital supervises all the health centers.
• Large cities have many government hospitals and also specialized government hospitals.

The health service is called ‘public’ for many reasons, as mentioned below:

• The government has established hospitals and health centers for everyone.
• The medical facilities are provided at a low cost so that the poor can also seek treatment
• The resources needed to run these services are obtained from the money that we, the public, pay to the government as taxes, hence the low cost. 

The public health services' function is to prevent the spread of diseases such as TB, malaria, jaundice, cholera, diarrhea, chikungunya, etc. The government must safeguard the Right to Life of every person.  According to our Constitution, it is the primary duty of the government to ensure the welfare of the people and provide health care facilities to all.

Private Health Facilities

• A wide range of private health facilities exist in our country. 
• Hospitals and nursing homes are privately owned. Private health facilities are not owned or controlled by the government. 
• There are many laboratories that do tests and offer special facilities such as X-ray, ultrasound, etc.
•  There are also medical shops from where we buy medicines.
• Patients have to pay a lot for every private service they use in comparison to public.

Healthcare and Equality: Is Adequate healthcare available to all?

• Due to several reasons, India has seen major growth in the number of private healthcare service systems compared to the public healthcare service systems. However, one main drawback is that urban areas receive more private services than rural areas.
• Private facilities are owned by organizations and due to this the prices are high. This is not affordable for everyone. People with a lower economic background borrow money when they need private health services.
• Private services encourage practices for profit whereas in government-owned hospitals, cheaper alternatives are available. Doctors are practicing some examples of immoral practices in the private sector, for example,  prescribing unnecessary medicines, injections, or saline bottles when, in fact, cheaper oral medicines can suffice for treatment.
• According to data, around 20% of the population can afford the medicines required for treatment in a private healthcare service center.
• The cost of treatment in a private hospital might become a money trouble. According to a survey, 40% of the people who had to be admitted to a hospital for some injury or illness had to sell their property or borrow money to pay for the treatment expenses.
• For poor people, it might be a cause of anxiety and distress. 
• Most poor people are undernourished as they do not get the required food. They cannot receive adequate housing, clean and hygienic surroundings, etc. This is why poor people are more prone to falling ill than others. The cost of the treatment of the illness in the private sector is not an option due to their financial status.
• Another point to be noted is the lack of available healthcare centers in remote places. Thus, it becomes difficult for the tribal/rural people to access healthcare services (both public and private). 

What can be done?

The government is responsible for providing quality healthcare services to all its citizens, especially the poor and the disadvantaged. It is important to work on public health facilities and basic amenities to improve the health situation of our people. Let us take two examples to understand this in a better way.

1) The Kerala experience

• In 1996, the Kerala government allocated 40% of the total Kerala budget to the panchayats. 
• This made it possible for a village to ensure proper planning was done for water, food, women’s development, and education. 
• Improvements were made in water supply, school operations, and health centers.
•  However, some issues like a shortage of medicines, insufficient hospital beds, and a lack of doctors persisted and required further attention. 

2) The Costa Rican approach

• Costa Rica is considered one of the healthiest countries in Central America. 
• Several years ago, Costa Rica decided not to have an army. This helped the Costa Rican government to spend the money that the army would have used, on health, education, and other basic needs of the people.
• The money saved was redirected toward health, education, and basic needs like sanitation, safe drinking water, nutrition, and housing.  
• The Costa Rican government provides basic services and amenities to all Costa Ricans.

FAQ's

Q.1 What is a ‘District hospital’?

Q.2 Where is 'Costa Rica' located?

Q.3 What are the functions of a ‘Primary health center’?