Question

Analyse the growth of public healthcare facilities in India since 1951.

Answer 1

• Substantial expansion in public health infrastructure from 1951 to 2017.
• Primary Health Centres (PHCs) increased from 725 in 1951 to 25,650 in 2017.
• Sub-centres rose to 1,56,231 by 2017.
• Government hospitals grew from 2,694 to 23,582.
• Government hospital beds expanded from 1,17,000 to 7,10,761.
• The health system has three tiers: primary (PHCs, family welfare centres), secondary (district and community health centres), and tertiary (specialized urban hospitals).
• This growth improved health outcomes: the death rate declined from 27.4 per 1000 (1951) to 6.4 (2019), the infant mortality rate decreased, and life expectancy rose.
• However, rural areas still have inadequate health facilities compared to urban areas.
• The private sector plays a significant role, running over 70% of hospitals.