The major providers of basic health needs for the general population in India are centres known as primary healthcare centres (PHCs), which are mostly government-owned and operated. PHCs address the basic health needs of the population by providing health education, promotion and preventive healthcare, among other services. The performance of PHCs is, therefore, critical to public health. This study aims to identify PHC performance indicators and the various factors that affect performance from the perspectives of mid-level healthcare managers. In-depth interviews were conducted among the managers at the taluk, block and district levels in the Bengaluru urban district to explore and understand their perspective on PHC performance. The healthcare managers expressed their views on the PHC performance as the performance that was specific to various programme targets, the PHC environment and the rapport of centre personnel with patients. They also described various factors at the PHC that contributed to the functioning of these centres. The managers identified doctors as key persons for PHC performance. According to the managers, doctors not only contribute to the standard output indicators by delivering preventive and curative services at PHC but also have multiple responsibilities as able leaders. The managers also specified the PHCs’ dependence on the health system and the local political bodies to function in the sociopolitical atmosphere. The managers also identified themselves as PHC leaders but in a limited role in the overall PHC performance, as centre supervisors. Managers also emphasised that doctors were responsible for the overall harmonisation of all the mentioned components and dependencies of PHC functioning. According to the managers, PHC performance consists of the PHC environment and rapport with patients, in addition to the centres’ output indicators. They concluded that doctors at PHCs, as able leaders, played a significant role in PHC performance.
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