Primary health centres (PHC) play an essential role in containing COVID-19 especially in rural areas, since they have better access to the community, and can easily manage mild to moderate cases along with addressing the needs of the general population. Basic pillars of PHC consist of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative services. PHCs can break the chain of COVID-19 transmissions and build adequate response in minimizing the spread and consequences of the disease outbreaks.

• Preventive Measures: In the absence of vaccine accessibility and effective treatment, preventive measures remain the main response strategy to curb the transmission of COVID-19. PHCs can effectively promote preventive measures in normal as well as pandemic situations.
• Hygiene Behaviour Awareness & Promotions: Following safe hygiene practices plays an important role during disease outbreaks, and it should be continuously updated based on the needs of the local communities. Health workers in PHCs can effectively tailor these messages as per the target community and disseminate it.
• Risk Communication: During pandemic outbreaks dissemination of risk communication plans and strategies are effective to curb misinformation and miscommunication in the local community. PHCs can establish effective communication strategies for the same for they experience vast and better reach to the grassroots level.
• Vaccination Services: Increasing access and delivery of COVID-19 vaccination is challenging in a country as vast as India. PHCs can play an effective role in strengthening the delivery systems and increasing awareness and accessibility of vaccines for far off regions.
• Effective Surveillance: Implementation of effective surveillance strategies in primary health setting is important to timely identify the hotspots of local outbreak and control the spread of virus. It is crucial to empower public health officials through surveillance data to manage the risk of spread of COVID-19.
• Rehabilitative Measures: PHCs can effectively conduct counselling services to handle the post-pandemic psychological trauma and stigma in affected populations, and frontline workers as well.

PHC infrastructure has huge potential to effectively address healthcare and welfare needs during an outbreak. Strengthening and inclusion of PHC in pandemic response play a vital role in stopping the transmission of virus, early detection of cases, and providing basic resources and adequate aid to the affected population and thereby significantly reducing the burden on secondary and tertiary health care facilities.