BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court disposed of a public interest petition with a direction to the State Government to implement the recommendations of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) with regard to setting up of Primary Health Centres (PHCs), providing manpower, medical care facilities, maintaining hygiene and cleanliness and accommodation for staff. The State Government had filed a compliance report in response to the KSLSA report stating that one PHC is required to be established for every 30,000 rural population as per the Indian Public Health Standards.
The state has established 2,359 PHCs in the state, which is 822 more than the IPHS guidelines, the government said. In response to this, the petitioner Gurunath Vadde of Bidar prayed the court that the government may be directed to implement the recommendations of the KSLSA report. Accordingly, a division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order. After random inspection of 100 PHCs on the directions of the court, the KSLSA submitted its report recommending that the state government implement the IPHS guidelines as a standard for functioning of PHCs in the state.
As per the IPHS, all PHCs must provide 24x7 emergency services. It has recommended a detailed survey of all PHCs in the state for quality assessment. Noting that mere establishment of PHCs without proper infrastructure and manpower may not serve the purpose, the KSLSA has suggested immediate measures for repairing of those PHCs which are in a dilapidated condition and ensure proper hygiene and cleanliness.