The committee which proposed the concept of primary health care in India is?

Tripura CHO - 2021

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Tripura CHO - 2021

Explanation

The Bhore Committee, officially the Health Survey and Development Committee of 1946, is credited with introducing the foundational concept of primary health care in India.
Its landmark recommendation was the creation of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to deliver integrated preventive, promotive, and curative health services to the rural population.
The committee envisioned a long-term plan to establish a PHC for every 10,000 to 20,000 people, with an initial short-term goal of one PHC per 40,000 population.
It emphasized that curative and preventive medicine should be integrated at all levels to improve public health.

Option A: The Mudaliar Committee did not propose the concept of PHCs; it reviewed the progress after the Bhore Committee and focused on strengthening the existing PHCs and improving the quality of services.
Option C: The Kartar Singh Committee's main focus was on health manpower, not the initial concept of primary health care. It recommended integrating various health workers into a single cadre of Multipurpose Workers (MPWs).
Option D: The Srivastav Committee focused on linking medical education with community health needs and recommended creating a cadre of community-based health workers (like Health Guides).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Health Committees in India and the Concept of Primary Health Care helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Understanding the evolution of India's health system helps nurses appreciate the roles and responsibilities defined for different cadres, from ANMs at sub-centres to medical officers at PHCs.
The recommendations of these committees directly influence the staffing patterns, service packages, and referral pathways that nurses work within daily in rural and community health settings.
What if? If the question asked which committee recommended the Multipurpose Worker (MPW) scheme, the correct answer would be the Kartar Singh Committee, as its focus was on integrating health workers' roles.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question about Indian public health history.
Identify the key phrase in the question: 'proposed the concept of primary health care.'
Associate this foundational concept with the earliest major health committee in post-independence India.
The Bhore Committee (1946) is the foundational committee for modern public health planning in India, making it the most likely answer for proposing the initial PHC concept.
Differentiate it from later committees: Mudaliar (planning/strengthening), Kartar Singh (manpower/MPW), and Srivastav (medical education/community workers) which built upon or modified the existing system.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Health Committees in India and the Concept of Primary Health Care
Stem keywords: committee, primary health care, India
Lead-in keywords: proposed the concept
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health NursingShyamala D part 1 (pp 26-389 of 389) pp. 69-71, 70-72, 68-70