Public Health Administration Practice Questions

Q: What is the population coverage of a male health assistant?

30,000. **Explanation:** In the Indian healthcare delivery system, the **Health Assistant (Male)**, also known as a **Health Supervisor**, is stationed at the **Primary Health Centre (PHC)** level. 1. **Why 30,000 is correct:** According to the norms set by the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), a PHC covers a population of **30,000 in plain areas** and **20,000 in hilly/tribal/difficult areas**. Since the Health Assistant (Male) is the supervisory staff at the PHC level, their population coverage corresponds to the PHC's jurisdiction. They are responsible for supervising the work of Multi-Purpose Workers (MPW-Male) across roughly 6 Sub-centers. 2. **Analysis of Incorrect Options:** * **A. 1,000:** This is the population coverage for an **ASHA** (Accredited Social Health Activist) or a **Village Health Guide**. * **B. 5,000:** This is the population coverage for a **Sub-center** in plain areas, managed by a Multi-Purpose Worker (Male/Female). * **D. 50,000:** This does not correspond to a standard primary healthcare unit; however, a **Community Health Centre (CHC)** covers a much larger population (80,000 to 1,20,000). **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Supervisory Ratio:** One Health Assistant (Male) supervises **6 Multi-Purpose Workers (Male)**. Similarly, one Health Assistant (Female/LHV) supervises 6 ANMs. * **PHC Staffing:** Under IPHS, a PHC is the first tier to be managed by a Medical Officer. * **Population Norms Summary:** * **Sub-center:** 3,000 (Hilly) / 5,000 (Plain) * **PHC:** 20,000 (Hilly) / 30,000 (Plain) * **CHC:** 80,000 (Hilly) / 1,20,000 (Plain)

Q: Which of the following is a function of the female health worker?

Enlist dais of the subcenter. ### Explanation The **Female Health Worker (FHW)**, commonly known as the **Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM)**, is the key grassroots functionary at the Subcenter level. Her primary roles revolve around Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Family Planning, and Immunization. **Why the correct answer is right:** One of the vital administrative and supervisory functions of the FHW is to **enlist and train Traditional Birth Attendants (Dais)** within her subcenter area. Since many rural deliveries are still attended by Dais, the FHW acts as a bridge, ensuring they are trained in "5 Cleans" and can identify high-risk pregnancies for timely referral. **Analysis of Incorrect Options:** * **A. Visit 4 subcenters per month:** This is a function of the **Health Assistant Female (LHV/Health Supervisor)**. The LHV supervises 6 subcenters and is expected to visit each at least once a month. * **C. Conduct 50% of deliveries:** There is no specific percentage mandate like "50%." While the FHW is trained to conduct normal deliveries, her role is to ensure *all* institutional deliveries or safe supervised births; the specific "50%" figure is not a standard functional definition. * **D. Chlorination of water:** This is primarily the responsibility of the **Male Health Worker (MPW-M)** and the Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC). **High-Yield Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Population Norms:** One Subcenter covers 5,000 population (3,000 in hilly/tribal areas). * **Staffing:** Under IPHS norms, a Subcenter should have 2 ANMs (one contractual), 1 MPW(M), and 1 Safai Karamchari. * **Key Indicator:** The FHW maintains the **"Eligible Couple Register,"** which is the basic document for family planning programs. * **Supervision:** 1 Female Health Assistant (LHV) supervises 6 Female Health Workers (ANMs).

Q: Which committee first recommended School Health?

Bhore committee. **Explanation:** The **Bhore Committee (1946)**, officially known as the Health Survey and Development Committee, is the cornerstone of public health planning in India. It was the first to recommend a comprehensive **School Health Service** to provide integrated preventive, promotive, and curative care for children. The committee emphasized that the school environment is the ideal setting for early detection of defects and health education. **Analysis of Options:** * **Bhore Committee (1946):** Correct. Beyond school health, it recommended the "Integration of Preventive and Curative services" and the concept of the "Primary Health Centre" (PHC). * **Chadah Committee (1963):** Recommended the "Basic Health Worker" (BHW) for every 10,000 population, primarily to look after Malaria vigilance activities. * **Jungalwallah Committee (1967):** Known as the Committee on "Integration of Health Services." It focused on eliminating private practice by government doctors and ensuring a unified cadre for health services. * **Srivastava Committee (1975):** Recommended the creation of "Health Assistants" and "Village Health Guides," leading to the launch of the **ROMP** (Reorientation of Medical Education) scheme. **High-Yield Facts for NEET-PG:** * **School Health Committee (1961):** While Bhore recommended it first, a dedicated committee chaired by **Dr. Vikram Singh** (1961) laid the detailed standards for school health. * **Bhore Committee Goals:** Recommended 1 PHC per 40,000 population and a "3-million plan" for long-term development. * **Kartar Singh Committee (1973):** Introduced the concept of "Multipurpose Workers" (MPW).

Q: According to national health policy, what is the population a subcentre caters to in hilly and tribal areas?

3000. In India, the public health infrastructure is organized based on population norms to ensure equitable access to healthcare. The **Subcentre (SC)** is the most peripheral point of contact between the Primary Health Care system and the community. ### **Explanation of the Correct Answer** **Option A (3000)** is correct. According to the National Health Policy and IPHS (Indian Public Health Standards) norms, the population coverage for a Subcentre is: * **Plain Areas:** 5,000 population. * **Hilly, Tribal, and Desert Areas:** 3,000 population. The lower threshold for hilly/tribal areas accounts for difficult terrain, low population density, and poor transport facilities, ensuring that healthcare remains accessible to marginalized populations. ### **Analysis of Incorrect Options** * **Option B (5000):** This is the population norm for a Subcentre in **plain areas**. * **Option C (1000):** This is the approximate population covered by an **ASHA** (Accredited Social Health Activist) or a **Village Health Guide**. It is also the population norm for an **Anganwadi worker** in plain areas. * **Option D (2500):** This figure does not correspond to standard population norms for primary health centers or subcentres in the current Indian administrative framework. ### **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG** * **Primary Health Centre (PHC):** Caters to 30,000 (Plains) and 20,000 (Hilly/Tribal). * **Community Health Centre (CHC):** Caters to 1,20,000 (Plains) and 80,000 (Hilly/Tribal). * **Staffing at SC:** Traditionally 3 (Health Worker Female/ANM, Health Worker Male, and a Safai Karamchari). Under the **Ayushman Bharat** scheme, Subcentres are being strengthened into **Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)** with the addition of a Community Health Officer (CHO). * **Health Unit Ratios:** 1 CHC supervises 4 PHCs; 1 PHC supervises 6 Subcentres.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a function of a female health worker?

Conducting malaria surveys. In public health administration, the **Female Health Worker (ANM - Auxiliary Nurse Midwife)** and the **Male Health Worker (MPW-M)** have distinct, though overlapping, roles at the Sub-center level. **Why "Conducting malaria surveys" is the correct answer:** Malaria surveillance, including conducting house-to-house surveys for fever cases and collecting blood smears, is primarily the responsibility of the **Male Health Worker**. While the ANM focuses on Maternal and Child Health (MCH), the Male Health Worker is tasked with environmental sanitation and the control of communicable diseases like Malaria, Filaria, and Tuberculosis. **Analysis of incorrect options:** * **Registering births and deaths:** The ANM is responsible for maintaining the vital statistics register in her area. This is a core administrative function to track population dynamics. * **Registering pregnant females:** Early registration of pregnancy (ideally within 12 weeks) is a primary duty of the ANM to ensure the delivery of Antenatal Care (ANC) services. * **Distributing contraceptives:** As a key provider of family planning services, the ANM distributes oral pills and condoms and is trained to insert IUDs. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Population Coverage:** One Sub-center (staffed by 1 ANM and 1 MPW-M) covers 5,000 people in plain areas and 3,000 in hilly/tribal areas. * **Primary Focus:** ANM = Maternal & Child Health + Family Planning; MPW-M = Communicable Disease Control + Environmental Sanitation. * **ASHA vs. ANM:** While both work in the community, the ANM is a formal multipurpose worker, whereas the ASHA is a community volunteer (1 per 1,000 population) acting as a link worker.

Q: What is the "critical path" in network analysis?

The longest path in a network. **Explanation:** In Public Health Administration and project management, **Network Analysis** (comprising PERT and CPM) is used to plan and control complex health programs. The **Critical Path** is defined as the sequence of connected activities that takes the **longest time** to complete from the start to the end of the project. 1. **Why Option D is Correct:** The longest path determines the **minimum time** required to complete the entire project. Any delay in an activity on this path will directly delay the final completion date. Therefore, it is "critical" because it has zero "slack time" or "float." 2. **Why Other Options are Incorrect:** * **Option A:** The critical path is defined by time, not cost. While it may be expensive, cost is not the defining criterion. * **Option B:** A "congested path" refers to resource bottlenecks, which is a different operational concept. * **Option C:** The shortest path is irrelevant in network analysis for project completion, as the project cannot be finished until the longest sequence of tasks is concluded. **High-Yield Facts for NEET-PG:** * **PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique):** Used for new, research-oriented projects where time is uncertain (uses three time estimates: optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely). * **CPM (Critical Path Method):** Used for repetitive, well-known projects (e.g., building a PHC) where time is predictable. * **Slack Time:** The amount of time a non-critical task can be delayed without affecting the project deadline. On the critical path, slack is always **zero**.

Question 1

Elements of primary health care include all of the following except?

Accepted Answer

Sound referral system

Answer

Adequate supply of safe water and basic sanitation

Answer

Providing essential drugs

Answer

Health Education

Question 2

Antenatal support is not delivered by whom?

Accepted Answer

Health supervisor (female)

Answer

Anganwadi worker

Answer

Female Health worker

Answer

Traditional birth attendant

Question 3

Regular reporting of health information is used for all of the following, except?

Accepted Answer

Assessing attitudes and satisfactions of people reporting information

Answer

Planning, administration, and effective management of health services

Answer

Epidemiological research

Answer

Quantifying health problems and assessing health care needs

Question 4

What is the population coverage of a male health assistant?

Accepted Answer

30,000

Answer

1,000

Answer

5,000

Answer

50,000

Question 5

Which of the following is a function of the female health worker?

Accepted Answer

Enlist dais of the subcenter

Answer

Visit 4 subcenters per month

Answer

Conduct 50% of deliveries

Answer

Chlorination of water

Question 6

One-third of the Rajya Sabha members retire every?

Accepted Answer

Two years

Answer

Three years

Answer

Four years

Answer

One year

Question 7

Which committee first recommended School Health?

Accepted Answer

Bhore committee

Answer

Chadah committee

Answer

Jungalwallah committee

Answer

Srivastava committee

Question 8

According to national health policy, what is the population a subcentre caters to in hilly and tribal areas?

Accepted Answer

3000

Answer

5000

Answer

1000

Answer

2500

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a function of a female health worker?

Accepted Answer

Conducting malaria surveys

Answer

Registering births and deaths

Answer

Registering pregnant females

Answer

Distributing contraceptives

Question 10

What is the "critical path" in network analysis?

Accepted Answer

The longest path in a network

Answer

The most expensive path in a network

Answer

A congested path in a network

Answer

The shortest path in a network

Public Health Administration — MCQs

Public Health Administration — MCQs

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