Rural Health Infrastructure in India – A Study in Selected Villages of Karnataka

By : V. Basil Hans

Page No: 72-82

Abstract
Health as a basic right is essential for the personal, social, economic and political development of every individual. Health is a valuable investment as well. It is more than 30 years since the member states of the World Health Organisation made an ambitious commitment to a global strategy of ‘Health for All by 2000 A.D.’ (i.e., HFA Goal), health as a basic right, and to the principles of primary health care. Moreover, health has no geographical boundaries. Good health like good governance has to be present everywhere in the form of good food and nutrition, health and best practices, and value orientation towards human dignity, including child protection and women empowerment. Thus, health is an inclusive problem for study and action. In India, despite modernisation and globalisation, good health infrastructure and services still seem to elude the countryside. Simply put, we need to address health problems at the village level. Health interventions are needed. Rural health services are essential to bring the rural folks to a more productive level and assimilate them in the national mainstream of manpower planning and human development. Every state must have this goal. The present study, however, is confined to one state, i.e. Karnataka. From the findings of the study, we can infer that there is a close relationship between rural economic development and health infrastructure. People take increasing interest in health promotion activities, but not always as resources are not adequate and accessible. There is inter-state, inter-district, inter-taluk, and inter-village disparities in this regard. It is only with the collaboration of the governments, private sector, and the third sector that we can make the much necessary headway. There should be no compromise on that.

Author :
V. Basil Hans
Retired Associate Professor, St Aloysius Evening College, Mangalore.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/PROD.2022.63.01.6