JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


Full Length Research Paper


Revival of the Public Healthcare Sector in India: A Case Study of Tamil Nadu

J. Cyril Kanmony

Article Number - 63D0556FE33F6  | Vol. 4(1), pp. 1-11, January 2023  | 
 Received: 4 November 2022 |  Accepted: 10 January 2023  |   Published: 31 January 2023

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

Abstract

In India, 80% of people do not have any protection for health. The main reason for this state of affair is that the public expenditure on health in India is very low. There is only limited number of sub-centres, primary health centres and community health centres apart from a huge shortage of healthcare professionals such as specialists, doctors, nursing staff, health assistants and health workers. All these indicate the appalling state of public health in India. It is a mere reflection of the performance of various states’ in the provision of healthcare services to people through the public healthcare sector. Tamil Nadu was one of the best performing states, but for the recent past it is slipping down in its health status. In comparison with 2005, in 2021 there is an improvement in the number of sub-centres in position, number of community health centres with specialists and a decrease in the number of primary health centres without doctors and community health centres without specialists, lab technicians and pharmacists in rural areas of the state. The strength of nursing staff is more than the minimum required. But the number of sub-centres and primary health centres without regular water and power supply increased. The growth of sub-centres, primary health centres and community health centres in comparison with the population growth is insignificant. The average rural population covered by a healthcare centre, particularly sub-centres, increased between 2005 and 2021. There is also a rise in the shortfall in the manpower deployed in health centres and a fall in other facilities such as operation theatre and labour room. The number of sub-centres without healthcare workers both male and female increased between March 2005 and March 2021. In primary health centres, the shortfall of health assistants, both male and female increased. In community health centres there is a huge shortfall of specialists and technical staff. These are not good signs of development. However after the takeover by the new government in May 2021 a few positive steps have been taken. If they succeed and considering a few more consistent steps taken in the coming days, then there will be a good chance for the public healthcare sector of Tamil Nadu to move up and to attain its past glorious status.

 

Keywords: Public expenditure, Sub-centres, Primary health centres, Community health centres and health workers.

 

 

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Authors

J. Cyril Kanmony

PG & Research Centre, Dept. of Economics, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil – 629003, Kanniyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. Email: [email protected]

 

 

How to Cite this Article

Kanmony, C. J. (2023). Revival of the Public Healthcare Sector in India: A Case Study of Tamil Nadu. Journal of Research in Science and Technology, 4(1), 1-11.

 

 

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