Report of the Health Survey and Planning Committee (Volume I)

On June 12, 1959, the Ministry of Health, government of India, appointed the Health Survey and Planning Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar – the then vice-chancellor of Madras University.The committee’s tasks included an assessment of the field of medical relief and public health since the Report of the Health Survey and Development Committee, 1945 (this older document is referred to as the Bhore Committee report), a review of the First (1951-56) and Second (1956-61) Five Year Plan health projects, and formulating recommendations for future health plans.The Committee issued 907 questionnaires to heads of medical colleges, health departments in state governments, as well as representatives of the nursing profession, pharmaceutical trade and industry, and scientific bodies. It received 665 responses. Committee members also visited and conducted interviews at several ‘representative institutions’.The 15 chapters in this first of two volumes cover topics such as as medical care and public health, communicable diseases, professional education and research, the ‘population problem’, drugs and medical supplies, legislation, indigenous systems of medicine and health administration. The second volume consists of appendices.