Class 7 Social Science Notes Chapter 2 (Role of the Government in Health) – Social and Political Life Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 2 from your Social and Political Life book, 'Role of the Government in Health'. This is a crucial chapter, not just for your exams but also for understanding how our society functions and what we should expect from our government. For government exam preparation, understanding the nuances of public services like healthcare is vital.

Here are the detailed notes:

Chapter 2: Role of the Government in Health - Detailed Notes

1. What is Health?

• Beyond Absence of Disease: Health isn't merely about not being sick. It encompasses overall well-being – physical, mental, and social.
• Factors Influencing Health: Good health depends on various factors besides healthcare, including:
  • Clean drinking water
  • Pollution-free environment
  • Adequate food and nutrition
  • Proper sanitation
  • Safe housing
  • Freedom from undue stress and anxiety

2. Healthcare in India: An Overview

• Contrasting Pictures: India presents a paradox:
  • Positive: Largest number of medical colleges globally, significant production of doctors, considerable experience, growth in medical tourism (people coming from other countries for treatment).
  • Negative: Doctor-population ratio is poor, especially in rural areas. Many doctors prefer urban settings. A large percentage of the population cannot afford quality healthcare. Communicable diseases (like TB, malaria) are widespread. Access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation is still a challenge for many.

3. Public and Private Healthcare Services

• Healthcare services in India can be broadly divided into two categories:

  • A. Public Healthcare Services:

    • Definition: A chain of health centres and hospitals run by the government.
    • Structure: Designed to cover both rural and urban areas.
      • Rural: Primary Health Centres (PHCs) at the village level (with trained nurses and village health workers, supervised by doctors at the PHC), Community Health Centres (CHCs), and District Hospitals.
      • Urban: Government hospitals, multi-speciality government hospitals.
    • Funding: Financed by taxes paid by the public. The government uses this money to provide services.
    • Objective: To provide quality healthcare either free or at a very low cost, ensuring even the poor can access treatment.
    • Role: Besides treatment, public health services focus on preventing the spread of diseases like TB, malaria, jaundice, cholera, etc., through awareness campaigns and public health measures.
    • Challenges: Often face issues like overcrowding, lack of resources, inadequate staffing, and quality concerns in some areas.

  • B. Private Healthcare Services:

    • Definition: Health services owned and operated by individuals or companies, not the government.
    • Presence: A wide range exists, from single-doctor clinics (including Registered Medical Practitioners - RMPs in rural areas) to large corporate hospitals and diagnostic centres.
    • Funding: Patients pay directly for the services they use. These are run for profit.
    • Characteristics: Often perceived to offer better amenities and quicker service (though not always better quality care). Concentrated mainly in urban areas.
    • Cost: Significantly more expensive than public services, making them unaffordable for a large section of the population.
    • Regulation: While regulated by the government, issues like over-prescription of medicines, unnecessary tests, and unethical practices can occur.

4. Healthcare and Equality: Is Adequate Healthcare Available to All?

• The Reality: There's a significant disparity in healthcare access in India.
  • Private Sector Dominance: The private sector is growing but caters mainly to those who can afford it, often neglecting the poor and those in rural areas.
  • Urban Bias: Both public and private facilities are concentrated more in urban areas.
  • Cost Barrier: High costs in the private sector push many into debt or force them to forgo treatment. Even essential medicines can be expensive.
  • Gender Bias: Women's health concerns are often given less importance.
  • Tribal Areas: Healthcare access is particularly poor in tribal and remote regions.

5. What Can Be Done? The Government's Role and Responsibility

• Constitutional Mandate: The Constitution considers it a primary duty of the government to ensure the welfare of the people and provide healthcare facilities for all. The Right to Life (Article 21) implicitly includes the Right to Health.
• Key Responsibilities:
  • Provision: Running public health facilities (hospitals, PHCs).
  • Prevention: Taking action to prevent diseases (sanitation, immunisation, clean water).
  • Ensuring Equity: Making sure healthcare is accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of their economic status or location.
  • Regulation: Monitoring and regulating private healthcare providers to ensure quality standards and prevent malpractices (though this is often weak).
  • Funding: Allocating sufficient budget for health from taxes collected.

6. Examples of Good Practices

• The Kerala Experience (1996):

  • The state government devolved 40% of the entire state budget to Panchayats.
  • Panchayats planned and provided for their local requirements, including water, food, women's development, and health.
  • This led to improved water supply schemes, better functioning of schools and anganwadis, and specific attention to health centres at the local level.

• The Costa Rican Approach:

  • Considered one of the healthiest countries in Central America.
  • Decades ago, Costa Rica decided not to have an army.
  • The money saved was spent on health, education, and other basic needs of the people.
  • The government provides basic services and amenities like safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition, and housing to all citizens. Health education is also considered very important.

7. Conclusion

• A country's health situation depends heavily on the government's commitment to providing basic amenities and accessible, affordable, quality healthcare to all its citizens. While India has made progress, significant challenges remain in ensuring equitable healthcare, which requires sustained government focus and investment.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Practice:

1. According to the chapter, what does 'health' broadly mean?
   a) Only the absence of physical illness.
   b) Being able to afford expensive treatment.
   c) Overall well-being, including physical, mental, and social aspects.
   d) Having access to private hospitals.

2. How are public healthcare services primarily funded in India?
   a) Through payments made by patients for each service.
   b) Through donations from wealthy individuals.
   c) Through taxes collected from the public by the government.
   d) Through international aid organisations.

3. Which of the following is a characteristic mainly associated with private healthcare services in India?
   a) They are run primarily for public welfare, not profit.
   b) They are usually provided free of cost or at a very low cost.
   c) They are largely concentrated in rural areas.
   d) They are generally more expensive than public services.

4. What does PHC stand for in the context of India's public health system?
   a) Private Health Clinic
   b) Public Health Corporation
   c) Primary Health Centre
   d) People's Health Committee

5. The Right to Health in India is considered an intrinsic part of which fundamental right?
   a) Right to Equality
   b) Right to Freedom
   c) Right against Exploitation
   d) Right to Life

6. What major step did the Kerala government take in 1996 to improve basic services at the local level?
   a) It invited private companies to run all health centres.
   b) It allocated 40% of the state budget directly to Panchayats.
   c) It closed down all rural health centres.
   d) It made healthcare completely free for foreigners.

7. What significant decision did Costa Rica take that allowed it to spend more on health and education?
   a) It discovered large oil reserves.
   b) It joined a major international military alliance.
   c) It decided not to have a national army.
   d) It privatised all its public services.

8. Which of the following is a major challenge faced by the healthcare system in India, as highlighted in the chapter?
   a) Too many doctors competing for jobs in rural areas.
   b) Lack of private hospitals in major cities.
   c) Unequal access to quality healthcare, especially for the poor and those in rural areas.
   d) Extremely low cost of medicines making pharmaceutical companies unprofitable.

9. What is the primary role of the government in healthcare according to the chapter?
   a) To only run large, super-speciality hospitals in capital cities.
   b) To ensure healthcare facilities are accessible and affordable for all citizens.
   c) To encourage the growth of private hospitals by giving them tax breaks.
   d) To focus solely on preventing communicable diseases and ignore other health issues.

10. RMPs (Registered Medical Practitioners) are commonly found providing basic healthcare services in which areas?
    a) Large corporate hospitals in metros.
    b) Government-run super-speciality institutes.
    c) Primarily in rural areas.
    d) Only in government policy-making bodies.

Answer Key:

1. c
2. c
3. d
4. c
5. d
6. b
7. c
8. c
9. b
10. c

Study these notes carefully. Understanding the difference between public and private healthcare, the government's responsibilities, and the challenges faced is key. Remember the examples of Kerala and Costa Rica as positive models. Good luck with your preparation!