PHC Full Form: Primary Health Centre

The full form of PHC is Primary Health Centre which is also called Public Health Centre. These primary health centres are owned by the state governments for rural health care facilities in India as there are not adequate primary health care facilities in the village area that is a major part of the Indian population.

These public health centres are part of the government-funded public health systems in India. These government-owned and funded PHC are the most basic unit of the public health system. Currently, there are more than 20000 public health centres in India. These PHCs are single physical clinics that normally provide facilities for minor surgeries.

PHC focus

 Public health centres in India mainly focus on regular medical treatments. These are some major concentrations of PHCs in India –

Birth Control Programs

PHCs are responsible to dispense services under the national birth control program and operate sterilization surgeries such as tubectomy and vasectomy. These services by PHC are fully subsidised.

Infant immunization programs

Infant immunization service is also fully subsidies by PHC. PHC immunizes new-borns under the national immunization program.

Pregnancy and related care

PHC majorly focuses on pregnancy and childbirth medical care in rural India. The reason for this is because people in rural India are unaware to approach doctors for pregnancy care. This can result in neonatal death.

Anti-epidemic programs

PHC act as the primary epidemic diagnostic and control centres. PHC doctors are trained to diagnose whenever a local epidemic breaks out.

Emergencies

Public health centres store drugs such as rabies vaccination etc. for medical emergencies often because such emergencies are common in the rural area.

PHC functions

 The Indian government took initiative to expand the presences of primary health centres through PHC in the country. This PHC work on eight elements of primary health care outlined in the Alma-Ata declaration. Here are these eight elements or functions of PHC –

• Collection and reporting of vital statistics
• Provision of medical care
• Education about health
• Maternal-child health that includes family planning
• Prevention and control of locally endemic diseases
• Training to health assistants
• National health programmes
• Training to health workers
• Referral services
• Basic laboratory workers
• Training of health guides,
• Safe water supply and basic sanitation

PHC FAQs

What are CHS and PHC?

PHC means primary health centre while CHS stands for community health centre which is a referral centre for every four PHCs that consist population of 80000 to more than 1 lakh.

 What is a PHC hospital?

The PHC hospitals are providing essential health services and products that are required to prevent disease and promote health, manage illness. These are hospitals that cover approx. 80 per cent of a person’s health requirements in a lifetime.

What is the work of PHC?

 Primary health care work for equity, health promotion, community participation, disease prevention, appropriate health technology and multispectral approach for medical care.

 Who is the in-charge of PHC?

 The medical officer is appointed to administrate and run the primary health care centres. These medical officers must have an MBBS degree. In PHCs these medical expert officer works as the administrator.

Why is PHC important?

Primary health care is important in any area especially the rural area of India. The major population of India lives in villages but they are unaware of medical facilities. To provide all basic medical and healthcare needs to the public these PHC are important.

Itis based on practical, socially and scientifically acceptable methods and technology. These methods are universally accessible to individuals and families.

What is the component of PHC?

 These are main three important components of primary health care –

• PHC empower individuals, communities and families so they can take care of their own health.
• PHC provide all the health needs of people throughout their lives.
• PHC addresses the broader determinants of health through multisector policy and actively working on them.

Some other famous full forms of PHC

PHC- Peoples Holding Company- in Business

PHC- Pet Health Council- in Medical

PHC- Preventive Health Center- in Medical

PHC- Patna High Court- High Court of Patna, Bihar

Similar full forms-

WHO full form

UN full form