One PHC covers a population of?

Appeared in: NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

According to Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), a Primary Health Centre (PHC) is established to cover a population of 30,000 in plain areas.
In hilly, tribal, or difficult areas, this norm is relaxed to 20,000 people per PHC to account for geographical challenges and scattered populations.
The PHC serves as the first point of contact between the community and a medical officer and acts as a referral unit for about six Sub-Centres.

Option A: A population of 50,000 is the norm for an Urban Primary Health Centre (U-PHC), not the standard rural PHC mentioned in the question.
Option C: A population of 10,000 does not align with the established norms for any specific tier of the rural health system. It is double the population for a Sub-Centre in plain areas (5,000) and one-third of the norm for a PHC.
Option D: One lakh (100,000) is incorrect. This population size is much larger than that served by a single PHC and is closer to the norm for a Community Health Centre (CHC).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Population norms for health facilities in India as per IPHS as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding population norms is crucial for nurses in community health for planning and resource allocation, including staffing, medicine supply, and outreach program scheduling.
These norms directly influence public health policy, infrastructure development, and the allocation of government funds to ensure equitable healthcare access.
What if? If the question specified the PHC was in a designated tribal district in Himachal Pradesh, the correct answer would shift to 20,000, as the norms for hilly/tribal areas would apply.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question: 'Primary Health Centre (PHC)'.
Recall the established Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for population coverage by different health facilities.
The question implies a standard (plain area) scenario unless specified otherwise. Remember the norm for a PHC in a plain area is 30,000.
Compare this recalled fact with the given options.
Eliminate the other options by associating them with different health facilities: 50,000 for Urban PHC and ~1 lakh for a CHC.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 125-127

E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health NursingShyamala D part 1 (pp 26-389 of 389) p. 80-82

Practise the full NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2019

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