Class 7 Civics Chapter 2 Question Answers - Role of Government in Health

Q1. What is health? Explain the factors that affect health.
Ans:
Health:

• Health means our ability to remain free of (from) illness and injuries,.
• Health is not only about disease. It is also associated with other factors.
• Apart from disease we need to think of other factors that affect our health.
• There are other factors that influence our health.
• If people get clean drinking water or a pollution free environment they are likely to be healthy.
• Conversely if people do not get adequate food to eat or have to live in dirty conditions they will become victims to illnesses.
• All of us always like to be active and in good spirits.
• It is not healthy to be dull, inactive, anxious or scared for long stretches of time. We all need to be free from mental strain.

Q2. Write some of the negative aspects of our healthcare system.
Ans:
The following are some of the drawbacks of our healthcare:

• Most doctors settle in urban areas, less doctors in rural areas.
• Two million cases of malaria and five lakh cases of tuberculosis every year.
• Water borne communicable diseases like diarrhoea, hepatitis on the rise. About 21% has no access to clean water.
• Half of all children are mal-nourished.
• Private health on rise and Public health care system has not grown as per the need.

Q3. What do we need to prevent and treat diseases?
Ans:

• In order to prevent and treat illnesses we need appropriate healthcare facilities.
• They are health centres, hospitals, laboratories for testing, ambulance services, blood banks, etc.
• They can provide the required care and services that patients need.
• In order to run these facilities we need health workers, nurses, qualified doctors and other health professionals who can advise, diagnose and treat illnesses.
• We also need medicines and equipments that are necessary for treating patients.

Q4. Give an account of the position of healthcare services in India.
Ans:
Healthcare Services in India:

• India has a large number of doctors, clinics and hospitals.
• It also has considerable experience and knowledge, in running a public healthcare system. This system of hospitals and health centres is run by the government.
• It has the ability to look after the health of a large section of its population scattered over lakhs of villages.
• There has been a phenomenal improvement in medical sciences with many new technologies and treatment procedures. [Refer to data on Page 20 NCERT column one.]

Q5. Explain the main features of Public Health Services.
Ans:
Main features of Public Health Services:

• Public Health Service is a chain of health centres and hospitals run by the government.
• They are linked together to cover both rural and urban areas.

They provide treatment to all kinds of problems from common illnesses to special services.

• At the village level there are health centres.
• It usually has a nurse and a village health worker.
• They are trained in dealing with common illnesses.
• They work under the supervision of doctors at the Primary Healthcare (PHC).
• This centre covers many villages in a rural area.
• At the district level is the District Hospital.
• It supervises all the health centres.
• Large cities have many government hospitals like the one where Aman was taken and also specialised government hospitals like the ones in Hakim Sheik’s story.

Q6. What are the reasons for the health services to be called public?
Ans:
The health service is called ‘public’ for many reasons.

• They fulfil their commitment of providing healthcare to all citizens.
• The government has established these hospitals and health centres.
• The resources needed to run these services are obtained from the money that we the public pay to the government as taxes.
• These services are meant for everyone.
• One of the most important aspects of the public health system is quality healthcare services either free or at a low cost.
• Even the poor can seek treatment there.
• Another important function of public health is to take action to prevent the spread of diseases like TB, malaria, jaundice, cholera, diarrhoea, chikengunya, etc.

Q7. What did the Court say in the case of Hakim Sheik?
Ans:

• According to Indian Constitution, it is the primary duty of the government to ensure the welfare of the people.
• It also lays emphasis to provide healthcare facilities to all.
• The government must safeguard the right to life of every person.
• The Court said that the difficulty that Hakim Sheik had to face could have cost him his life.
• If a hospital cannot provide timely medical treatment to a person it means that
• The Court also said that it was the duty of the government to provide the necessary health services with treatment in emergency situations.
• Hospitals and medical staff must fulfil their duty of providing the necessary treatment.
• Hakim Sheik was denied treatment at various government hospitals.
• Therefore, the Court asked the State Government to give him the money that he had spent on his treatment.

Q8. Is adequate healthcare available to all of us? Explain.
Ans:
Adequate healthcare is not available to all.

• Private facilities are increasing but the Public services are not.
• Private services are concentrated in urban areas and are costly.
• Poor have to go to Public services which are crowded. They have to borrow money in case of an illness in the family.
• Sometime wrong practices are encouraged to earn more money—like prescribing unnecessary medicines or tests.
• Only about 20% can afford all the medicines required and more than 40% have to borrow money.
• In case of women and tribal areas the health concerns are ignored.

Q9. How is illness in a poor family a cause of great anxiety and distress?
Ans:

• To the poor every illness in the family is a cause of great anxiety and distress.
• In poor families this situation tends to happen again and again. The poor are generally undernourished.
• These families are not eating as much as they should. They are not provided basic necessities like drinking water, adequate housing, clean surroundings, etc. Hence, they are more likely to fall ill.
• The expenses on illness make their condition even worse.
• Sometimes money is not the problem for getting proper medical treatment.
• Women are not taken to a doctor in a prompt manner.
• Their health concerns are considered to be less important than the health of men in the family.
• Many tribal areas have few health centres and they do not run properly. Even private health services are not available to the tribals.

Q10. Give an account of the Kerala experience about healthcare services.
Ans:
The Kerala Experience

• In 1996, the Kerala government made some major changes in the state.
• 40 per cent of the entire state budget was given to Panchayats. They plan and provide for their requirements. This is made possible for a village to make proper planning for water, food, women’s development and education.
• As a result, water supply schemes were checked, the working of schools and anganwadis was ensured and specific problems of the villages were taken up.
• Health centres were also improved.
• All of this helped to improve the situation.
• Despite these efforts, some problems like shortages of medicines, insufficient hospital beds, dearth of doctor remained and these need to be addressed.

Q11. Discuss the Costa Rican Approach about Health.
Ans:
Costa Rican Approach about Health

• Costa Rica is one of the healthiest countries in South America.
• The main reason for this is found in the Costa Rican Constitution.
• Costa Rica took a very important decision not to have an army.
• This helped the Costa Rican government to spend the additional money on health, education and other basic needs of the people.
• The Costa Rican government believes that a country has to be healthy for its development.
• It plays a lot of attention to the health of its people.

The Costa Rican government provides basic services and amenities to all its people.

• It provides safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition and housing.
• Health education is also considered very important.
• Knowledge about health is an essential part of education at all levels.