We all are aware that India’s healthcare system has been battling various issues, including the low number of institutions and less-than-adequate human resources for quite a while now.
Basically, a three-tier structure defined the Indian healthcare system — primary, secondary and tertiary care services. The Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) states that the delivery of primary healthcare is provided to the rural population through sub-centre, primary health centre (PHC), and community health centre (CHC), while secondary care is delivered through district and sub-district hospitals. On the other hand, tertiary care is extended at regional/central level institutions or super specialty hospitals. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the capacity of health systems to continue the delivery of essential health services. While health systems in India are being challenged by increasing demand for care of COVID-19 patients, it is critical to maintain preventive and curative services, especially for the most vulnerable populations, such as children, older persons, people living with chronic conditions, minorities and people living with disabilities