Write a brief review of the significant events in the field of public health in India.

The Constitution of India puts forward the primary duty of the state i.e. to raise the people’s standard of living, ensure proper nutrition and improve public health.

1. Efforts, with the help of the sixth five-year plan, were made towards helping people maintain good health by giving recognition to Unani, Homoeopathy, Ayurveda and Naturopathy in addition to Allopathy.

2. Progress in the medical field and technology also helped in the successful completion of the open heart surgery at the Christian Medical College hospital in Vellore.

3. The invention of the Jaipur Foot technology also helped in transforming the lives of the differently-abled with manufacturing of artificial body parts.

4. The successful completion of a kidney transplant in 1971 at Christian Medical College hospital in Vellore was also a major

landmark.

5. The support of the ‘test-tube baby technology’ since 1978 has immensely helped childless couples across the country. Being the first attempt at artificial conception, it was successfully carried out in Kolkata under intense supervision.

6. The immunization programme to overcome the threat of diseases such as polio, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough etc. was started in 1995 to protect infants from fatal health problems.