Role of the Government in Health

Q1. Fill in the blanks.

                        i.        Most doctors settle in urban areas.

                       ii.        Tax money is utilised for relief and rehabilitation in case of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tsunami etc.

                      iii.        In private facilities, patients have to pay a lot of money for every service that they use.

                      iv.        India is the fourth largest producer of medicines in the world and is also a large exporter of medicines.

                       v.        India gets a large number of medical tourists from many countries.

Q2. True/False

                         i.        Ranjan got costly medical treatment. True

                        ii.        Private services are concentrated in rural areas. False

                       iii.        If people do not get adequate food to eat or have to live in cramped conditions, they will be prone to illness. True

                       iv.        The private health service is a chain of health centres and hospitals run by the government. False

                       v.        Adequate healthcare is available to all in India. False

Q3. Give some water borne diseases.

Ans. Example - diarrhoea, worms, hepatitis, etc.

Q4. What do you mean by public health?

Ans. It refers to the health of general public.

Q5. Who runs public health care system?

Ans. Government runs public health care system.

Q6. In what kind of hospital patients see long queues?

Ans. Patients usually have to see long queues in public hospitals.

Q7. What does RMPs stand for?

Ans. Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs).

Q8. What do people in democratic country expect from the government?

Ans. In a democracy people expect the government to work for their welfare.

Q9. What do you mean by living standard?

Ans. Living standard refers to the quality of housing, material comfort, and wealth experienced by an individual or group.

Q10. What are communicable diseases?

Ans. These are diseases that are spread from one person to another in many ways such as through water, food, air, etc.

Q11. What are the factors that affect our health?

Ans. Diseases, drinking water, adequate food, sanitation, environment and mental health are the factors that affect our health.

Q12. Why did Hakim Sheikh and PBKMS file a case in the court?

Ans. Hakim Sheikh and PBKMS filed a case in the court because the indifferent attitude of all the hospitals that refused to admit him.

Q13. What happened to Hakim Sheik?

Ans. One evening in 1992, Hakim Sheik accidentally fell off a running train and suffered head injuries. He was in a very serious condition and needed immediate treatment.

Q14. What is OPD?

Ans. This is the short form for ‘Out Patient Department’. This is where people are first brought in and treated in a hospital without being admitted to any special ward.

Q15. Why are women not taken to a doctor in a prompt manner?

Ans. Women are not taken to a doctor in a prompt manner because women’s health concerns are considered to be less important than the health of men in the family.

Q16. What do you understand by public healthcare system?

Ans. This is a system of hospitals and health centres run by the government. It has the ability to look after the health of a large section of its population scattered over hundreds of thousands of villages.

Q17. What do you mean by medical tourists?

Ans. This refers to foreigners who come to this country specifically for medical treatment at hospitals that offer world–class facilities at a lower cost than what they would have to pay in their own countries.