Population covered by CHC
The core concept here is the population coverage of a Community Health Center. In India, the public health system is structured with Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and CHCs. PHCs typically cover around 20,000-30,000 people, while CHCs are higher-level facilities. I think CHCs are designed to serve a larger population, maybe around 1.2 lakh (120,000) people in rural areas. This is part of the three-tier system: sub-centers, PHCs, and CHCs.
Now, the correct answer would be the option that states 1.2 lakh population. The question is asking for the population covered by a CHC. The reasoning is based on the standard setup where each CHC is responsible for a larger catchment area than PHCs. Each PHC serves 20,000-30,000 people, and a CHC is supposed to cover 12 PHCs. If each PHC serves 30,000, then 12 PHCs would cover 360,000, but maybe the actual figure is 1.2 lakh per CHC. Wait, no, that doesn't add up. Wait, perhaps each PHC serves 20,000, so 12 PHCs would be 240,000, but I might be mixing up the numbers here. Wait, I think the standard is that a CHC covers 1.2 lakh population. Let me double-check. In India, a CHC is established to serve a population of approximately 1.2 lakh (120,000) in rural areas. So the correct answer would be 1.2 lakh.
The incorrect options would be other numbers like 20,000, 50,000, or 30,000, which are the coverage areas for PHCs or sub-centers. For example, a sub-center covers 5,000 people, a PHC covers 20,000-30,000. So any of those numbers would be wrong here. The clinical pearl here is to remember the hierarchy: sub-center (5k), PHC (20k-30k), CHC (1.2 lakh). That's a key point for exams. So the correct answer is the option that says 1.2 lakh.
**Core Concept**
A Community Health Centre (CHC) is a secondary-level healthcare facility in Indiaβs rural health infrastructure, designed to serve a large population. It provides specialized services and acts as a referral point for Primary Health Centres (PHCs). The population coverage is standardized to ensure equitable healthcare access.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The CHC is structured to cover **1.2 lakh (120,000) people** in rural areas. This number