A Geographical Appraisal of Health Care Facilities in Lakshadweep Islands

Health care facilities unlike any other amenities, is vital for any society irrespective of its population size and administrative area. It is to be highlighted that health care facilities are not only meant for providing medical facility for unhealthy people, to save life in case of emergency, but also to spread awareness about healthy life in every area where there is a presence of human life. Hence each and every life on earth is important, so is the presence of health care facility. In Lakshadweep, several government proposals and fund are allotted for health care facility, but due to regional disparity in allocation of fund and other allowances, there exist large difference in the availability, accessibility and affordability of health care facility in different islands in Lakshadweep. The Health Services plays a vital role to enable the people of Lakshadweep to lead a healthy life by promoting programmers covering preventive, primitive and curative health care. At present there are 2 Hospitals, 3 Community Health Centres, 4 Primary Health Centres, 1 First Aid Centres. In addition to these, two Ayurvedics Dispensaries, one Homeopathic Dispensary and four Dental Units are also functioning in the Islands of Lakshadweep. In the past, epidemics like cholera and smallpox used to take a heavy toll of lives. Leprosy and Filariasis were also rampant. Lack of facilities and unavailability of doctors besides ignorance and isolation caused by the difficulties of transportation and communication were the main reasons for the slow developments of health services. The present study is a geographical appraisal of the health care facilities in Lakshadweep Islands. The study reveals that inspite of various efforts to develop the health care facilities; there exist regional disparity in the availability, accessibility, affordability of health care facilities among different Lakshadweep islands.