Assessment of sub-centres of Belagavi district according to Indian public health standards 2012 guidelines: a cross sectional study

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONIn the public sector, a sub-health centre (sub-centre) is the most peripheral and first point of contact between the primary health care system and the community. A Subcentre provides interface with the community at the grass-root level, providing all the primary health care services. As sub-centres are the first contact point with the community, the success of any nationwide programme would depend largely on the well-functioning sub-centres providing services of acceptable standard to the people. The purpose of the health sub-centre is largely preventive and promotive, but it also provides a basic level of curative care. As per population norms, there shall be one sub-centre established for every 5000 population in plain areas and for every 3000 population in hilly/tribal/desert areas.1 The health planners in India have visualized the PHC and its sub-centres (SCs) as the proper structural units to provide health services to the rural population. The current level of functioning of the sub-centres is much below the expectations. In order to provide quality care in these sub-centres, Indian public health standards ABSTRACT Background: In the public sector, a sub-health centre (sub-centre) is the most peripheral and first point of contact between the primary health care system and the community. The current level of functioning of the Sub-centres is much below the expectations. Objective: To assess sub-centres of Belagavi District according to Indian public health standards 2012 guidelines. Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in Belagavi district of Karnataka. forty SCs, four SC from each of the 10 Talukas of Belagavi district were selected by simple random sampling. Study period: 1 st January to 31 st December 2014. Data collected -using a predesigned and structured questionnaire for IPHS facility survey. Results: The study showed 35% of SCs were catering the services for population as per the norms. Services like antenatal clinics, post-natal clinics and immunization sessions were conducted regularly in all the SCs. About 33% of SCs had no buildings. A deficiency worth highlighting in the present study was the absence of residential facilities for the staff in half of the SCs. Proper supervision and monitoring of the service delivery activities of the SC staff was done only in 70% of SCs. Conclusions: IPHS guidelines are not being followed at SC level in the district. Recruitment of SC staff especially the Health Worker Male post should be filled at all the SCs for efficient functioning of the SCs. The SC should be periodically surveyed to identify the deficiency and necessary action could be taken to correct it.

Baseline Assessment of Primary Healthcare Delivery Through Subcenters of Northern India

“…In our study, all the SCs were providing services to more than 5,000 people, which is more than the IPHS norms for SCs, indicating a high burden on the existing SCs for service delivery. The results are similar to the study from Belagavi, Karnataka [18]. All the SCs had their own buildings; but in 2012-2013, only 50% SCs in Chandigarh and Panchkula were found to be working from their own premises [19].…”

Assessment of the availability of infrastructure, manpower, materials and knowledge of health care providers regarding child health care services in the sub centers of a block of Dibrugarh district, Assam

“…6 Whereas, few other studies done by Jain et al and Patil et al found 66.7% and 55% SCs respectively were housed in government buildings. 7,8 As per IPHS, the SCs should provide residential facility for auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs); this study found that only 20% of SCs had residential facility for ANMs which is quite similar to the study by Reddy et al where 26.4% of SCs have residential facilities for ANMs. 4 In similar studies conducted in Kerala, Mandla and facility survey India, it was found that only in 54.4%, 27.5%, and 30% of SCs had own building, out of these only 31.1%, 75.7%, and 30% female health workers were staying in SCs or in the SC village.…”

Gaps in facilities available at community health Centers/Rural Hospitals as per Indian public health standards – Study from Western Maharashtra

“…A study conducted in Belgavi also showed the presence of emergency services (100%) in all the CHCs but only 60% had emergency care of sick children and only 30% had laproscopic family planning services. [ 3 ] The newborn care stabilization unit provides intensive care to a newborn prior to appropriate transfer to the maternity ward. All Funded CHCs had newborn care while one nonfunded CHC lacked it.…”

“…In the present study, the paramedical staff was understaffed whereas in a study by Patil SK, Shivaswamy MS all the CHCs had nursing staff, pharmacist, laboratory technician, ward boys, OPD attendant, and sweepers. [ 3 ]…”