primary health care

1. PRIMARY
HEALTH
CARE
PRESENTED BY –
SAPNA THAKUR
MSC COMMUNITY HEALTH
NURSING

2. HEALTH CARE
It is defined as multiple services rendered to
individuals, families or communities by the
agents of health services or professionals
for the purpose of promoting, maintaining,
monitoring or restoring health.

3. LEVELS OF HEALTH CARE
Primary level health care
 Secondary level health care
 Tertiary level health care

4. PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
This is the first level of contact between the recipient of care and the
health care delivery system. Majority of the problems at this level are
solved by the people with some assistance and guidance of health
workers.
In rural area these services are given by the means of sub centres,
PHC and CHC.
In urban areas these services are given by maternal child health and
family welfare centres and dispensaries.

5. SECONDARY HEALTH CARE
At this level more complex problems are taken care
mostly which require secondary level of preventive
services and curative services.
These services are provided at district health
centres/ hospitals.
Those cases which cannot be handled at PHC or
CHC are referred to district health centres.

6. TERTIARY HEALTH CARE
This level of health care is provided at the
state/regional/central level institutions.
These institutions serve as a referral units for primary
and secondary levels.
They also serve as a teaching institution for education
and training of various categories of health care
professionals.

7. PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Primary health care is essential health care and
technology based on practical scientifically sound
and social acceptable methods and technology made
universally accessible to individuals and families in
the community by means acceptable to them,
through their full participation and at the cost that the
community and country can afford.

8. PURPOSES
Increase in life expectation
Improvement in nutritional status.
Provision of basic sanitation
Development of manpower and other
resources.

9. CONCEPT
The concept of primary health care was
introduced at international level jointly by
WHO and UNICEF at the Alma Atta
conference in 1978 to achieve the goal of
HEALTH FOR ALL by the year 2000A.D

10. PRINCIPLES OF PHC
 Equitable distribution.
 Community participation.
Intersectoral coordination.
.Appropriate technology.
 Human resources

11. Services by community health worker
 referral services
Logistics of supply

12. EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION
.
 Health services must be shared equally by all people
irrespective of their ability to pay.
 • Rich or poor / rural or urban must have access to health
services.
 • Primary Health Care aims to readdress this imbalance by
shifting the centre of gravity of the health care system from
cities to the rural areas, & bring these services as near
people’s home as possible.

13. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
.
: community participation is the process by
which individuals and families assume
responsibilities for their own health and welfare
and for those of the community and develops
the capacity to contribute to their and country’s
development.

14. INTER – SECTORAL CO-ORDINATION
There is an increasing realization that HFA (Health for all )
cannot be provided by the health sector alone.
 The declaration of Alma Ata states that primary health care
involves in addition to health sector, all related sectors &
aspects of national & community development, in particular
agriculture, animal husbandry, food, industry, education,
housing, public works, communication & other sectors.

15. To achieve such cooperation, countries may have to review
their administrative system, reallocate their resources &
introduce suitable legislation to ensure that coordination can
take place.
 • This requires a strong political will to translate values into
action.
. • An important approach is the inter sectoral approach.

16. APPROPRIATE TECNOLOGY
Appropriate technology has been defined as
“technology that is scientifically sound, adaptable to
local needs, & acceptable to those who apply it & for
those whom it is used & that cab be maintained by the
people themselves in keeping with the principles of self
reliance with the resources the community & country
can afford”.

17.  The term appropriate is emphasized because in some
countries luxurious hospitals that are totally inappropriate to
the local needs, are built, which absorb a major part of the
national health budget, effectively blocking many improvement
in general health services.
 This also implies use of costly equipments, procedures &
techniques when cheaper, scientifically valid & acceptable
ones are available. (ORS packets over house to house sand
pipe connections)

18. HUMAN RESOURCE
: for the effective implementation of primary
health care , it is essential to make full use
of all the available resources including the
human potential of all the country.

19. SERVICES BY COMMUNITY
HEALTH WORKER
community health workers form a link
between the community people and the
health system. They are given short and
simple training to be able to take care of the
simple and basic health needs of the
people.

20. REFERRAL SYSTEM
: The patients with severe condition
unable to treat at the primary level
should be referred to the higher/
specialised centre for the proper
treatment.

21. LOGISTICS OF SUPPLY
: It includes planning and budgeting of
the supplies required, procurement or
manufacture, storage, distribution and
control.

22. ROLE OF NURSE IN PRIMARY HEALTH
CARE
HEALTH EDUCATION
FOOD SUPPLY AND PROPER NUTRITION
WATER SUPPLY AND BASIC SANITATION
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CARE INCLUDING
FAMILY PLANNING

23. TREATMENT OF MINOR AILMENTS
PROVISIONS OF ESSENTIAL DRUGS
IMMUNIZATION
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF ENDEMIC DISEASES

24. THANK YOU