Consider the following statements : Statement-I :India’s public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care. Statement-II: Under India’s decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation
Statement-I is Correct: India's public healthcare system has historically prioritized curative care through hospital-based services, while preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative services (such as early screening, health education, and post-treatment recovery) receive significantly less budgetary and structural emphasis.
Statement-II is Correct: Under the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, 'Public health and sanitation; hospitals and dispensaries' are listed under the State List (Entry 6). This decentralized framework makes State governments primarily responsible for the organization and delivery of health services.
Relationship: While both statements are factually accurate, Statement-II describes the administrative and constitutional division of power, which does not serve as the reason for the curative-heavy nature of the system described in Statement-I. The focus on curative care is a result of historical policy choices, infrastructure development patterns, and funding models rather than the fact that States manage the services. Therefore, Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.