The concept of Primary Health Care was recommended by which health committee?

MP CHO-2020

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: MP CHO-2020

Explanation

The Bhore Committee (1946), also known as the Health Survey and Development Committee, is credited with laying the blueprint for Primary Health Care in India.
Its central recommendation was the integration of curative and preventive health services, delivered through a network of Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
The committee proposed a 3-tier system of healthcare delivery for rural areas, with PHCs serving as the foundational unit.
This model aimed to make healthcare services accessible and comprehensive for the rural population, which is the core principle of primary healthcare.

Option B: The Mudaliar Committee (1962) did not recommend the concept of PHC; its primary role was to assess the progress made since the Bhore Committee's report and to suggest measures for further development and planning.
Option C: The Mukherjee Committee (1965) focused on administrative and staffing issues related to the family planning program. It recommended delinking malaria activities from family planning to improve the effectiveness of both programs.
Option D: The Kartar Singh Committee (1973) focused on the health workforce. Its key recommendation was the creation of Multipurpose Health Workers (MPWs) by integrating various single-purpose workers at the peripheral level.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Health Committees in India and Primary Health Care helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Understanding the history and structure of India's healthcare system, starting from the Bhore Committee, is fundamental for community health nurses to effectively navigate the system and provide care.
Knowledge of the different committee recommendations helps nurses appreciate the roles of various health workers (like MPWs) and the functions of different facilities (like PHCs and CHCs).
A community health nurse must know the population norms for establishing health centers (e.g., 1 PHC per 30,000 population in plain areas) to understand resource allocation and service delivery expectations.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concepts in the question: 'Primary Health Care' and 'health committee'.
This is a factual recall question that requires knowledge of the history of public health in India.
Systematically review the major health committees and their primary contributions.
Differentiate between the committees: Bhore (foundational PHC concept), Mudaliar (review and planning), Mukherjee (family planning staffing), and Kartar Singh (multipurpose workers).
Select the committee whose core recommendation matches the concept of establishing a primary level of integrated healthcare, which is the Bhore Committee.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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