Gist of Daily News Papers Articles/The Hindu /Indian Express-23 Sep 2025

Article :  PHC doctors — a case where the caregivers need care

Published: The Hindu-23 Sep , 2025

Very Important Topic for UPSC/PCS  Mains : GS 1/GS 2/ Health Sector /Issues/Reform

The article talks about the  role of Primary Health Centre (PHC) &  issues related to it.

Key Points / Issues:

Role & Responsibilities

• Serve as clinicians, planners, coordinators, and community leaders.
• Bridge gap between health policy and community needs.

Key functions include:

• Clinical care across all age groups and specialties.
• Immunisation, maternal & child health, vector control, school health, outbreak response.
• Mentoring ASHA workers, ANMs, village health workers.
• Community engagement via gram sabhas and health education.

Workload & Challenges:

• Serve 30,000–50,000 population per PHC (varies by region).
• Daily outpatient load: ~100 patients, including antenatal care.
• Must handle emergencies across all specialties.
• Need to stay updated on national guidelines, protocols, and evolving medical knowledge.

Administrative Burden:

• Maintain 100+ physical registers (OP records, MCH, NCDs, drug inventory, sanitation, etc.).
• Parallel digital systems: IHIP, PHR, Ayushman Bharat Portal, IDSP, HMIS, UWIN.
• Duplication of data entry (paper + digital).
• Administrative tasks often spill into personal time, reducing focus on clinical care.

Burnout & Systemic Stress:

• Emotional exhaustion, detachment, sense of futility (WHO ICD-11 recognized).
• WHO meta-analysis: 1/3 primary care doctors in LMICs report burnout.
• Burnout caused by mismatch between expectations and systemic support.
• Consequences: reduced quality of care, delayed data reporting, decreased motivation.

Impact on Public Health:

• PHCs are gateways to UHC (SDG Target 3.8).
• Weak PHC support threatens SDG goals of health and well-being for all.
• Programmes like NQAS emphasize checklists, but true quality is humane, enabling, sustainable care.

Challenges:

Way Forward / Solutions:

System Redesign:

• Reduce redundant documentation; meaningful digitisation.
• Automate routine data entry; delegate non-clinical tasks.

Support & Recognition

• Adequate staffing, infrastructure, incentives, and mental health support.
• Valuing physicians’ work beyond metrics.

Training & Capacity Building:

• Regular updates on treatment protocols, disease surveillance, and public health programmes.
• Opportunities for research, learning, and professional growth.

Global Best Practices:

• Example: 25 by 5 campaign (U.S.) – reduce clinician documentation by 75%.
• Adopt implementable targets to free doctors’ time for patient care.

Community Engagement

• Strengthen community involvement, preventive care, and health literacy.
• PHC doctors as enablers, not just service providers.

Conclusion:

• PHC doctors are the linchpin of India’s primary healthcare and the foundation of UHC.
• Their physical, emotional, and professional well-being is critical for sustainable, high-quality healthcare.
• Reimagining PHC as an investment, not a cost, requires systemic reforms, empathy-driven policies, and adequate support.
• Strengthening PHCs ensures India can achieve SDG 3 – Health and Well-being for all, making care truly Ayushman.

Article Based Mains Questions : UPSC/PCS/250/200 words

“Primary Health Centre (PHC) doctors are the backbone of India’s public health system, yet they face overwhelming clinical, administrative, and programme-related burdens. Discuss