Ministry of health and Family Welfare,
Government of India, is the apex executive organization
dealing with the issues of Health and Family Welfare
in the country as per the guidelines enshrined in
the constitution of India and depicted in the national
health policy and in accordance with the policy decisions
of the cabinet. Health is the state subject in India
and the Ministry of Health and Family welfare acts
as a Coordinator between the state Health departments,
Planning commission, central council of Health etc.
besides implementing various national programs and
items under unions list and concurrent list.
In the process the Directorate General
of Health Services aids it. Health administration
at the apex level of the Government of India consists
of a Secretary for health and Secretary for Family
Welfare supported by Additional, Joint secretaries
who are drawn from the Indian Civil Service. The rest
of the organization is mostly program/project based.
Ad-hoc project structures such as TB project or Malaria
project etc., are created as and when necessary. Since
state governments implement the projects and deliver
the regular health services they have a fairly well
demarcated systems. Separate directorates or head
offices usually exist at the state capital for primary,
secondary and tertiary health care, which includes
medical colleges and medical education.
Many
states have separate structure for family welfare
operations since population control through family
planning is given great importance. An average Indian
State will have 10 to 25 districts where from most
of the revenue and civil administration is governed.
District health administration consists of number
of officers and doctors who on average handle 10 to
15 hospitals, 30 to 60 primary health centers and
300 to 400 sub centers.
