Design Of An Effective Primary Health Care Centre
Brief Description of the Building Type
Primary Health Care (PHC) is driven by a political philosophy that emphasizes a radical change in both the design and content of conventional health care services. It also advocates an approach to health care principles that allow people to receive health care that enables them to lead socially and economically productive lives (Dennil et al. 1999: 2). The Alma-Ata declaration of September 1978 defined the concept of PHC as essential care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable health care methods and technology, made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination. It forms an integral part both of the country’s health system, of which it is the central function and main focus, and of the overall social and economic development of the community. It is the first level of contact for individuals, the family and the community within the national health system, bringing health care as close as possible to where people live and work, and constitutes health care services (WHO 1998: 15). In addition, Alma-Ata declaration states that any Primary Health Care program should include at least the following components, namely, education about prevailing health problems and methods of preventing and controlling them; the promotion of food supply and proper nutrition; an adequate supply of safe water and basic sanitation; maternal and child health care, including family planning and care of high risk groups; immunization against the major infectious diseases; prevention and control of locally endemic diseases; appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries and the provision of essential drugs, including vaccines.
Primary Health Care Centre is the cornerstone of rural health services- a first port of call to a qualified doctor of the public sector in rural areas for the sick and those who directly report or referred from Sub-Centres for curative, preventive and promotive health care (India, 2002). Primary Health Care Centre is a basic health unit to provide as close to the people as possible, an integrated curative and preventive health care to the rural population with emphasis on preventive and promotive aspects of health care.
