According to IPHS guidelines, how many essential beds should a non-FRU CHC have?

Appeared in: NORCERT 8 Mains-2025

Explanation

The Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) mandate an essential bed strength of 30 for a Community Health Centre (CHC).
A CHC is established to serve as the first point of specialist contact and referral for a cluster of 4-6 Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
It is designed to cover a population of 1,20,000 in plain areas and 80,000 in hilly or tribal areas.
The 30-bed setup includes facilities for an operation theatre, X-ray, labour room, and laboratory services to support the four required specialists.

Option A: 50 beds is not the essential IPHS norm for a standard CHC. It represents an upgraded facility.
Option C: 100 beds significantly exceeds the standard for a CHC and aligns with higher-level referral hospitals.
Option D: 60 beds is not the standard for a CHC. This capacity falls within the range for a Sub-District Hospital.

Visual 1: Infographic: Hierarchy of public health facilities in India (Sub-Centre, PHC, CHC, Sub-District Hospital, District Hospital) showing the progression of bed strength and services at each level.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain IPHS guidelines for Community Health Centre (CHC) bed strength as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must know the standard bed strength of their facility to effectively manage resources, patient admissions, and discharges.
Understanding the healthcare hierarchy (PHC to CHC to DH) is essential for making appropriate and timely patient referrals.
Knowledge of IPHS norms helps nurses advocate for necessary resources and staffing to meet the standard of care.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the key terms in the question: 'IPHS guidelines,' 'non-FRU CHC,' and 'essential beds.'
Recognize that this is a factual recall question based on national health policy in India.
Recall the specific IPHS norm for the bed strength of a standard Community Health Centre.
Differentiate this norm from the bed capacities of other facilities in the public health system, such as Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs), and District Hospitals (DHs).
Eliminate options that correspond to these other facility types (e.g., 100 beds for a DH).
Select the option that precisely matches the established standard for a CHC.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full NORCERT 8 Mains-2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.