State is more accountable on rural health
Mumbai: In Dahanu block of Thane district, medical officers in primary health centres (PHCs) are chalking out preventive health activities with villagers. Villagers across Amravati, Osmanabad, Pune, Thane and Nandurbar are demanding that the government tackle drug shortages, fill in vacancies and provide free transportation facilities.
Today, the villagers and tribals in five districts of Maharashtra are able to make a report card of sorts of the public health system, thanks to a community-based monitoring (CBM) component of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The CBM has injected a much-needed dose of accountability in the health system, besides highlighting the various lacunae in the hinterland. The government now plans to extend the participatory model to seven more districts in the state by next month.
Several issues have come to light because of the peoples involvement and the shortfalls brought to our notice will be followed up strictly, said Madhukar Choudhari, mission director, NRHM, Maharashtra. He said they planned to set up a grievance redressal cell in his office so that a complaint could be lodged by anyone whenever health services were denied.
On Thursday, voluntary organisations and government officials came together to evaluate the CBM process which was started in April 2007. The findings were revelatory and the people demanded answers. Theres not a single pathology laboratory in Thane district where all the basic tests are available, said Deepak Abnave highlighting other shortfallshow a doctor in Dahsai village used the same syringe on at least three people, how doctors never turned up at out-patient departments on time and how essential drugs were unavailable.
A study of 26 PHCs in the five districts showed that 87% of the centres had less than two months stock of essential drugs. In the malnutritionbelt of Melghat, there are only three MBBS doctors manning the 11 PHCs. Another activist said that PHCs and anganwadis from tribal areas which were being relocated, were shifted out of the reach of tribals. But activists and government officials agreed that the Jan Sunwais and involvement of locals had improved accountability. In Amravati, complaint and suggestion boxes have cropped up in PHCs. In some areas, malnutrition records have improved and auxiliary nurses and midwives are available on hospital premises 24 X 7.