## Primary Health Centre (PHC) — Catchment Population **Key Point:** The PHC is the first contact point between the primary healthcare system and the community in rural India. Its catchment population is standardized based on terrain. ### Catchment Population Standards | Healthcare Unit | Plain Areas | Hilly/Tribal/Difficult Areas | | --- | --- | --- | | **PHC** | 10,000 | 3,000–5,000 | | **Sub-centre (SC)** | 3,000–5,000 | 1,000–3,000 | | **CHC** | 120,000 | 80,000 | **High-Yield:** A PHC typically serves 10,000 population in plain terrain and 3,000–5,000 in hilly/tribal/difficult areas. This is a frequently tested fact in NEET PG PSM. ### Staffing at PHC - 1 Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) — female - 1 Male Health Worker - 1 ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) per 1,000 population **Clinical Pearl:** PHCs are designed to provide basic preventive, promotive, and curative services including immunization, antenatal care, family planning, and treatment of common illnesses. [cite:Park 26e Ch 3]
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