In 2019 the USAID-funded Building Healthy Cities (BHC) project evaluated the current status of multiple urban primary health centers (UPHCs) in Indore, India in relation to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). The main purpose of the study was to identify the status and adequacy of infrastructure, equipment, diagnostics, medicines, and health care service delivery of each selected public health care facility to enable Indore Smart City Development Limited and the Health Office to address any barriers that limit UPHCs from using resources and functioning at their best.
Results show that none of the 10 UPHCs studied met all IPHS requirements across the seven dimensions: population coverage, hours of operation, staffing, location, functions, management, and infrastructure. While most of the facilities did well on population coverage and location, there were significant issues with staff vacancies, insufficient infrastructure, and inconsistent availability of services during scheduled hours of operation. This study concludes with key recommendations for improving UPHCs in Indore.
In spite of deficiencies, most of the UPHCs were able to carry out their required functions and provide a high volume of outpatient department services. Once the above mentioned deficiencies are addressed, the UPHCs could be expected to provide quality services to an even higher number of beneficiaries. JSI/Building Healthy Cities. 2019.
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