## **Core Concept**
A community health centre (CHC) is a type of healthcare facility that serves as a referral center for primary health centers and sub-centers in rural or underserved areas. It provides comprehensive healthcare services, including specialist care, to the population within its designated catchment area.

## **Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The correct population coverage for a community health centre is 80,000 to 1,20,000. This is based on the norms set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). A CHC is designed to provide secondary-level care, acting as a referral center for 4-6 primary health centers (PHCs), each covering 20,000 populations in plains and 15,000 in hilly, tribal, or backward areas.

## **Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
* **Option A:** 20,000 - This is the population covered by a sub-center, which is the most peripheral and first contact point between the primary healthcare system and the community.
* **Option B:** 30,000 - This is not a standard population coverage for any defined healthcare facility in the public health infrastructure.
* **Option D:** 5,00,000 - This population size is more aligned with the coverage area of a district hospital or a higher-level referral hospital.

## **Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
A key point to remember is the hierarchical structure of healthcare facilities and their population coverage: sub-center (20,000), primary health center (30,000), community health center (80,000-1,20,000), and district hospital (variable, often larger).

## **Correct Answer:** C. 80,000-1,20,000.