The principle of delivery of Comprehensive Primary Health Care Services being "Time to Care" is to be not mor… - Hariyana-CHO-2021

Hariyana-CHO-2021

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Hariyana-CHO-2021

Explanation

30 minutes, which is the established standard under the 'Time to Care' principle for Comprehensive Primary Health Care in India.
This principle, part of the National Health Policy (2017) and implemented through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), aims to ensure that every citizen can reach a primary healthcare facility within a 30-minute travel time.
This timeframe is considered optimal for providing timely first-contact care, managing acute illnesses, ensuring maternal and child health services, and facilitating follow-up for chronic conditions.
Adherence to this standard helps reduce delays in seeking care, improves health outcomes, and ensures equitable access to essential health services for rural and underserved populations.

Option A: A 20-minute timeframe, while ideal, is not the nationally mandated standard. It may be too ambitious and impractical to achieve in many diverse geographical terrains across the country, such as hilly or remote areas.
Option C: A 40-minute travel time exceeds the recommended standard. This delay could be critical and potentially worsen outcomes for patients with acute emergencies, labor complications, or severe illness.
Option D: A 60-minute (one hour) travel time is significantly longer than the acceptable limit for primary care access. Such a long duration would defeat the core objective of providing timely and accessible care, especially for emergencies and critical services.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing The 'Time to Care' principle as a standard for service delivery in Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) under Ayushman Bharat helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
For a Community Health Officer (CHO) or nurse at a Health and Wellness Centre, understanding the 'Time to Care' principle is fundamental for service area management.
Nurses must actively map their catchment area to identify households and hamlets that fall outside the 30-minute travel radius.
For these hard-to-reach populations, the healthcare team should plan regular outreach camps or mobile medical unit visits to ensure services are delivered at the community's doorstep.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept in the question, which is the 'Time to Care' principle within 'Comprehensive Primary Health Care'.
This is a factual recall question based on national health policy guidelines in India.
Recall or deduce the specific time standard set by the government for ensuring access to primary healthcare services.
Evaluate the given options against the known standard. The policy aims for a balance between ideal access and practical implementation across diverse geographies.
Select the option that matches the official guideline, which is 30 minutes.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: The 'Time to Care' principle as a standard for service delivery in Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) under Ayushman Bharat.
Stem keywords: Comprehensive Primary Health Care, Time to Care, delivery of services
Lead-in keywords: not more than
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 122-124