Not all heroes wear capes; some wear lab coats and masks.

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Not all heroes wear capes; some wear lab coats and masks.

I had the privilege of meeting one such hero, Dr. Souvik. Patient with his patients, he stays beyond his hours of duty to see all those who come to one small PHC in rural Howrah.

India's health system is complex and vast! No matter what one reads in newspapers and journals, to truly understand the role of PHCs in the health system, one needs to witness it firsthand in action, and last week, I got a chance to see it all in my own district of Howrah, West Bengal.

For those who know little about government health services—and on LinkedIn, they may be the majority—these are available at all levels.

[0] The first level is a sub-center called the Swasthya Sathi Kendra in West Bengal, staffed by a health officer qualified in nursing.

The government aims to provide one sub-center for every 5k people. ASHAs and ANMs gather information and provide ground-level data and services. Each ASHA serves around 1,000, providing information and health services. She is the one who convinces people to get vaccinated, plan births, and have their babies delivered in an institution.

[1] Next is a PHC or primary health center, where a medical officer i.e. a doctor is available.

[2] Above the PHC is a block-level PHC, which offers OPD services, 15 beds, and other tests and medical operations. This is upgraded to a Rural Hospital when the bed capacity increases to 30.

[3] Then comes the District Hospital, under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer, whose duty is to ensure the delivery of public health services. At the district hospital, services in West Bengal are free, from OPD to X-rays, ultrasonography, institutional births, and more.

In one block alone, we serve a population of 3.5 lakh people, with 44 sub-centers, 2 PHCs, and 1 Rural Hospital.

Howrah, a single district in West Bengal, has 14 blocks, 1 Municipal Corporation, and 2 Municipalities. West Bengal itself has 23 districts. India has 28 states and 9 UTs, with over 6 lakh villages and 7,000 blocks.

Since you’re reading this on LinkedIn, it’s highly probable that you may never have to visit a PHC, Rural Hospital, or even the higher-level government hospitals, such as a district hospital.

At the PHC, I sat quietly in the doctor’s chamber. Dr. Saha interacted so patiently with everyone who entered, fully absorbed in each interaction. He consults with 80 patients daily, spending 4-5 minutes with each, and the line at the PHC was filled with women waiting to see their favorite doctor :)

While I acknowledge the lapses and deficits in the prevailing systems and as a part of the government, it’s my duty to work on filling those gaps. But I also feel a sense of pride in the scope and scale at of services the government provides.

Few understand the magnitude, and even fewer understand the impact. But those patients receiving affordable medicines and medical advice—they are the ones who know it!

Pic: Dr. Souvik Saha with a patient in action.