2018

Need to
strengthen
Primary Health and Education

There should be initiatives in the country to upgrade primary education and Primary Health Centre (PHCs) on war footing. Successive Governments have, however, been focusing and hence upgrading only Tertiary Healthcare Institutions in the country which is not enough. Reason being, around 75% of our population resides in the rural areas of the country.

The present Government therefore is planning to implement the same on ground. Healthy India Chronicle is sharing the same thought process and suggesting that PHCs need to get a shot in the arm in the present scenario. For this, state government and central government have to strengthen manpower, infrastructure, availability of drugs and skilling of manpower in health and education.

As of today, malnutrition is the biggest challenge in the country and the government is planning and has also made concerted efforts in this direction in order to provide accessible healthcare and education to 130 crore people representing 676 districts, 7000 blocks, 3 lakh panchayats and 7 lakh villages approximately.

PHCs and primary education, therefore, need to be strengthened and aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sankalp se Siddhi’.

In a federal structure as that of our country, where health and education are subject matter of the states, Centre has to take the onus in monitoring the implementation of the policies in the states with reference to primary health and education.

Amitav Joyprakash Choudhury
Editor-in-Chief