CBSE Class 7 Social Science: Chapter 2 – Role of the Government in Health NCERT Solutions

The quote from the Constitution highlights the government's responsibility towards the well-being of its citizens. In this context:

Living Standard: This term refers to the overall quality of life that people experience. A high living standard implies that people have access to basic necessities like adequate food, clean housing, safe drinking water, and a hygienic environment. It means people can live comfortably and with dignity. Conversely, a low living standard means people struggle to meet these basic needs, often living in poor conditions with limited access to resources, which negatively impacts their health and well-being.

Public Health: This refers to the health of the population as a whole, rather than just the health of individuals. It encompasses the efforts and measures taken by the government and society to prevent diseases, promote healthy lifestyles, and ensure access to healthcare services for everyone. Improving public health involves initiatives like sanitation drives, vaccination programs, health awareness campaigns, and ensuring the availability of clean water and healthcare facilities for the general community.

The government can implement various strategies to ensure healthcare is accessible to all citizens. These include:

• Establishing and Expanding Healthcare Facilities: Increasing the number of hospitals, primary health centres, and family welfare centres, especially in underserved areas, is crucial.
• Organizing Health Camps and Campaigns: Conducting regular free health check-up camps and targeted campaigns like the Pulse Polio immunization drive helps in early detection and prevention of diseases.
• Promoting Health Awareness: Spreading information about healthy practices, disease prevention, and available health services through various media, workshops, seminars, and training programs empowers people to take care of their health.
• Ensuring Availability of Medical Professionals: Implementing policies to encourage doctors and healthcare workers to serve in rural and remote areas.
• Regulating Healthcare Costs: Implementing measures to make essential medicines and treatments affordable and accessible.

Here is a comparison of private and public health services based on the provided categories:

Water and sanitation are fundamental to maintaining good health and preventing the spread of diseases. When these basic necessities are compromised, it can lead to significant health issues:

• Water-borne Diseases: Contaminated drinking water is a major source of diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, and hepatitis. If water sources are polluted and not properly treated, or if sanitation systems are inadequate, pathogens can easily spread, infecting large numbers of people.
• Vector-borne Diseases: Poor sanitation often leads to stagnant water and unmanaged waste, creating breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes. For example, Dengue fever is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which breeds in clean stagnant water, often found in discarded containers or coolers. Malaria is another mosquito-borne disease transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, which thrives in environments with poor drainage and sanitation.
• Other Infections: Lack of proper sanitation facilities can also lead to the spread of parasitic infections, such as worms, which are transmitted through contaminated soil and food.

Therefore, ensuring access to clean drinking water and effective sanitation systems is a critical step in controlling the incidence of many infectious and communicable diseases, thereby improving overall public health.

In a democratic country, people expect the government to work for their overall welfare and well-being. This includes ensuring their safety, providing essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure, and protecting their rights.

Most doctors prefer to settle and practice in urban areas. This is often due to better infrastructure, availability of advanced medical equipment, higher patient volume, and potentially better earning opportunities compared to rural regions.

Some common water-borne diseases include Diarrhoea, Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, and infections caused by parasitic worms.

Whenever people in rural areas fall ill, they often face the problem of having to travel long distances to reach a doctor or a healthcare facility. This delay can be critical, especially in emergencies, and adds to the difficulty of receiving timely medical attention.

To effectively prevent and treat illnesses, we need a comprehensive range of appropriate healthcare facilities. This includes accessible health centres, well-equipped hospitals, laboratories for diagnostic testing, reliable ambulance services for emergencies, and a sufficient supply of medicines.

A public health care system refers to a network of hospitals, clinics, and health centres that are owned and operated by the government. These facilities aim to provide healthcare services to all citizens, often free of charge or at a significantly lower cost than private alternatives.

One evening in 1992, Hakim Sheik suffered serious head injuries when he accidentally fell off a moving train. This incident necessitated immediate medical attention.

Hakim Sheik filed a case in the court because he faced a grave situation where various government hospitals refused to admit him and provide the necessary medical treatment for his injuries. He sought legal recourse due to the indifferent attitude and failure of the public healthcare system to respond to his emergency.

Ranjan received costly medical treatment. The context implies that while Aman might have received treatment, Ranjan's treatment involved significant expenses, likely from private healthcare providers.

In the Hakim Sheik case, the court directed the State Government to provide Hakim Sheik with the full amount of money he had spent on his medical treatment. This was compensation for the suffering and financial burden caused by the government hospitals' failure to admit and treat him promptly.

RMP stands for Registered Medical Practitioners. They are medical professionals registered with a medical council. RMPs are commonly found in rural areas, where they often provide essential primary healthcare services to the local communities.

Private healthcare services are generally more easily available in urban areas. This is because urban centres typically have a higher concentration of private hospitals, clinics, and specialized medical practitioners, catering to a population that can afford these services.

Poor people are more susceptible to falling ill because they often lack access to basic necessities that are crucial for maintaining health. This includes inadequate housing, lack of clean drinking water, poor sanitation facilities, and insufficient nutritious food. Living in unhygienic conditions and facing malnutrition weakens their immune systems, making them more vulnerable to various diseases.

In many families, women's health concerns are unfortunately not considered as important as those of men. This societal attitude can lead to delays in seeking medical attention for women. Their health issues might be overlooked, or they may not be taken to a doctor promptly, especially if the illness is perceived as less severe or if financial resources are prioritized for male family members.