ABSTRACT

During the six decades after independence, the infrastructure for India’s public delivery of health services grew substantially and the health of its population improved. Periodic efforts were made to improve the capacity of the system to deliver health care services to all sections of the population. But despite the impressive progress, deficiencies exist in the overall performance of the public health system. Regional disparities are evident in terms of health infrastructure, morbidity status and socio-demographic imbalances in outcomes. The health system is characterized by inefficiency, low quality, inequities and poor accessibility.