Public hearing highlights lacunae in rural healthcare
A pregnant woman delivered a baby under the light of a mobile phone. Reason: Generators failed in the Primary Health Care (PHC) in Murbad, near her village.
Another make-shift PHC, in Shiroshi, can accommodate just 10 people at a time. Reason: The actual building is complete but awaits inauguration.
Three rural hospitals which are supposed to give specialised healthcare have no specialists coming there. Reason: Doctors have been appointed but they skip work.
The list of grouses heard at the Thane district-level ‘jansunvai’ or public hearing organised on Monday afternoon by Murbad-based NGO Van Niketan seemed endless.
Over 300 people representing 45 villages, nine PHCs and three nodal district blocks Dahanu, Murbad and Jawahar voiced their opinion and demanded explanations.
Several NGOs including Dr Manibhai Desai Mahila Vikas Sangh, Kashtkari Sanghtna attended the meet.
“Nine ‘jansunvais’ have been held so far in the months of June and July. Unfortunately, the issues continue to remain unaddressed. This time, we asked for immediate action,” said Indavi Tulpule, secretary, Van Niketan.
“Public hearings are necessary as they encourage people participation and help their voices reach the right authorities. With so many questions being raised, the authorities will have to take cognitive action in at least 50% of the cases,” said Tulpule.
“With so much participation, a timeline had to be fixed to resolve the issues. Representatives from the zilla parishad promised to look into matters like the lack of medicine supply and ambulance services in villages on a priority basis,” Deepak Abnave, Thane co-ordinator for the community based monitoring (CBM) programme of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Although the NRHM director Madhukar Chaudhari did not make it to the meet, representatives from the government as well as the district officials assured those gathered that action would be taken immediately.