HEALTH CRISIS IN RAIGAD
Health infrastructure in Raigad is considerably in a pathetic state. if you take a random stock of the primary health centers (PHC), of the district, you will find that the PHC are gravely sick across the district. Women face a host of health problems throughout their life cycle. However, affirmative policies and programs with regard to women’s position in India are advanced, health aspects of women and children remains grim in many part of the district, specially tribal and marginalized families are at greater risk.
Many government health schemes do not reach to them. Many interior villages and hamlets did not have health services close to their locality. Sub-centers of every primary health center are in dilapidated condition; a few of them in Mahad are Tudil, Telange. Chochinde( chimbhave) and Tamhne ( Vinehre) have no infrastructure.
The work of PHC is restricted to target oriented program only, such as family planning and immunization. A preventive measurement based program plays key role mobilizing and materializing health policies effectively. However, the key responsibility of PHC suffered decadence on a large scale across the district.
Medical officers assigned to PHC are scheduled to work in rural area has a short tenure to carry out the program, at the same time many young doctors are also busy with their post graduation studies. In addition, lackadaisical district health administration and indifferent health workers are another set back in the program. Moreover, people’s grievances have never voiced, except political intervention.
DOTs FATE and GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS:
Mahad Rural hospital has no x-ray machine; Poladpur Rural hospital has x-ray machine but no x-ray technician and there is no x-ray film since four year in the hospital whereas medical superintendent’s presence is almost rare in the hospital! Murud Rural hospital has the similar fate!
X-ray plays key role in diagnosing the pulmonary tuberculosis, though sputum test is free and easily accessible to diagnose the TB. Nevertheless, nearly 10% diagnoses is confirmed with the help of x-ray, if sputum is negative, this 10% may go undetected that can infect innocent healthy population. Even doctor at PHC level are not equipped or empowered to treat the multi-drug resistant cases of TB. A child, suffering from TB is a growing challenge, if not detected in time may lead to complication. Moreover, an inefficiency of the health worker catering the services to the patients and partly lack of supervision is another setback of the program.
It is difficult to treat the Multi-drug resistant (MDR) cases of tuberculosis at primary health center level. State Government health administration has no substantial provision to treat the critical cases of MDR. It requires a special investigation and this investigation is not available with district civil hospital. One multi-drug resistant patient of tuberculosis may infect proportionally around 15 healthy people in a year if not detected early and treated in time. Despite its grave consequences, the concerned authority is desperately overlooking the problem.
In Jasawali Rural hospital, x-ray machine is dead and there is no x-ray film! Mhasla and Shrivardhan hospital has no x-ray machine. DOT program fate itself seems to be in jeopardy.
Private Practice is now in a boom among health workers and Medical officers of PHCs in Raigad. In a recent incident that took place in Karjat taluka, a health worker had given a wrong injection to a child and that later the child died. A case was registered and police arrested him. In Mahad too a health worker, Gharat, who is looking after Karanjadi section of Vinehare sector charging 20 Rs. from per patient for injection and 60 Rs. for IV fluids. The adivasi woman complains. Health authority seems to be silence and do not want to take any stringent legal action against such a workers. Medical officers of primary health centers (Mahad) are also doing practice and exploits the patients for 50 to 100 Rs., complaints a patient on condition of anonymity.
The prime objective of doctor is to provide Medicare to every individual, as right to life is basic fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. Article 47 says: duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standards of living and to improve public health. This article also imposes restriction on private practice by the government doctors.
Adivasi health crisis:
Recently a sample survey was conducted to assess the present statistic of child mortality rate, malnourishment and maternal mortality among adivasi in Mahad taluka of the district.
HEALTH STATISTIC OF TEN TRIBAL HAMLETS
Conception Rate: For per 100 is 9%
Maternal mortality Rate: For per 100 is 6%
Child mortality Rate: For 100 is 7.33%
Malnutrition Rate: For Per 100 is 8%
The statistics based on data collected from 10 tribal hamlets of Mahad. (From 2004 to 2006) Veer tembi adiwasi hamlet is highest among ten. This hamlet is more prone to health hazards as compare to others. Both husband and wife is an alcoholic and almost 5 month of the year, they work at bricklin sites. Income sources is very meager, 30 Rs. per day. The tribal have massively been exploited by local landlords. Nevertheless, adivasi hardly venture upon to complain unjust inflicted on them.
Recently introduced scheme of the state is Doctor tumchya gaavi (doctor in your village) but subsequently district faces stringent dearth of doctors. One of the health workers, P. Patil said that an assigned doctor at PHC is not able to manage the sick villages as well as to look after the PHC. “Government should appoint final year medical students to join the campaign’’ he added.
WANTED: Class I officers 24 and Class II officers 27 posts are vacant across the district. Gynecologist, pediatrician, orthopedics are also in demand at all state run government hospitals in Raigad.
In a recent incidence, Mahad rural hospital had referred an adivasi patient of Karanjadi village to Alibag civil hospital for citiscan. They admitted patient in the hospital for good two days and then sent back to Mahad by hospital van. (After two days patient died) The hospital administration had charged 2,500 Rs. for transporting the patient to the village, patient’s relatives complain. Eventually, all below poverty line people are entitled free treatment including transportation in case of emergencies.
Right to Health is a Hunan Right: WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, Bill Gates Foundation, Clinton Foundation, World Banks and much other international organization are funding developing countries/government to improve its basic health infrastructure in order to bring down malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and many more dreaded disease. Most of the PHC in Raigad are sponsored by Indo-Jerman project. In addition, many health projects have been funded by the International Funding Agencies. But we do not know what evaluation criteria is resorted by these Agencies to evaluate the work or projects.
Most of the funds are siphoning to the bigger Cities like Mumbai. However, let us pause a while and think. Where this population is coming from? The inflow of migration is mostly from rural area. Where should we concentrate our funds for the betterment of health or other basic infrastructures? This marginalized families prefers to live in slums. In the first place, we are creating slums in the metropolitan cities and on the other hand, we are proposing rehabilitation projects. Does not this sound absurd?
We are talking about the SEZ, building a giant infrastructure for hotel, industry, shopping malls and luxurious multiplexes. What about the basic infrastructure and needs such as health, education and water?
The water sources in the district has been polluted due to chemical effluents that is being discharged into rivers has become a major cause of concern in view of public health. Since decades in many villages, private tankers are supplying water. Water appears as mirage to millions of people of the district. Hundreds of water schemes have paralyzed or failed due to political turmoil across the district. We can surely avoid 80% diseases/ sickness by providing potable water to the people!
Article 25(1) of the universal declaration of human rights 1948 assures that every one has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family including medical care and necessary social services and the right to security in the event of sickness, disability, old age etc. Right to life is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the constitution.
Article 12 of the International Covenant on Econonic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) recognizes the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
From this scenario, it is vivid that the government is violating the very fundamental rights of each citizen of this country.
S P Navkar ( social worker)
9272445189/ spnavkar@rediffmail.com
Many government health schemes do not reach to them. Many interior villages and hamlets did not have health services close to their locality. Sub-centers of every primary health center are in dilapidated condition; a few of them in Mahad are Tudil, Telange. Chochinde( chimbhave) and Tamhne ( Vinehre) have no infrastructure.
The work of PHC is restricted to target oriented program only, such as family planning and immunization. A preventive measurement based program plays key role mobilizing and materializing health policies effectively. However, the key responsibility of PHC suffered decadence on a large scale across the district.
Medical officers assigned to PHC are scheduled to work in rural area has a short tenure to carry out the program, at the same time many young doctors are also busy with their post graduation studies. In addition, lackadaisical district health administration and indifferent health workers are another set back in the program. Moreover, people’s grievances have never voiced, except political intervention.
DOTs FATE and GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS:
Mahad Rural hospital has no x-ray machine; Poladpur Rural hospital has x-ray machine but no x-ray technician and there is no x-ray film since four year in the hospital whereas medical superintendent’s presence is almost rare in the hospital! Murud Rural hospital has the similar fate!
X-ray plays key role in diagnosing the pulmonary tuberculosis, though sputum test is free and easily accessible to diagnose the TB. Nevertheless, nearly 10% diagnoses is confirmed with the help of x-ray, if sputum is negative, this 10% may go undetected that can infect innocent healthy population. Even doctor at PHC level are not equipped or empowered to treat the multi-drug resistant cases of TB. A child, suffering from TB is a growing challenge, if not detected in time may lead to complication. Moreover, an inefficiency of the health worker catering the services to the patients and partly lack of supervision is another setback of the program.
It is difficult to treat the Multi-drug resistant (MDR) cases of tuberculosis at primary health center level. State Government health administration has no substantial provision to treat the critical cases of MDR. It requires a special investigation and this investigation is not available with district civil hospital. One multi-drug resistant patient of tuberculosis may infect proportionally around 15 healthy people in a year if not detected early and treated in time. Despite its grave consequences, the concerned authority is desperately overlooking the problem.
In Jasawali Rural hospital, x-ray machine is dead and there is no x-ray film! Mhasla and Shrivardhan hospital has no x-ray machine. DOT program fate itself seems to be in jeopardy.
Private Practice is now in a boom among health workers and Medical officers of PHCs in Raigad. In a recent incident that took place in Karjat taluka, a health worker had given a wrong injection to a child and that later the child died. A case was registered and police arrested him. In Mahad too a health worker, Gharat, who is looking after Karanjadi section of Vinehare sector charging 20 Rs. from per patient for injection and 60 Rs. for IV fluids. The adivasi woman complains. Health authority seems to be silence and do not want to take any stringent legal action against such a workers. Medical officers of primary health centers (Mahad) are also doing practice and exploits the patients for 50 to 100 Rs., complaints a patient on condition of anonymity.
The prime objective of doctor is to provide Medicare to every individual, as right to life is basic fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. Article 47 says: duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standards of living and to improve public health. This article also imposes restriction on private practice by the government doctors.
Adivasi health crisis:
Recently a sample survey was conducted to assess the present statistic of child mortality rate, malnourishment and maternal mortality among adivasi in Mahad taluka of the district.
HEALTH STATISTIC OF TEN TRIBAL HAMLETS
Conception Rate: For per 100 is 9%
Maternal mortality Rate: For per 100 is 6%
Child mortality Rate: For 100 is 7.33%
Malnutrition Rate: For Per 100 is 8%
The statistics based on data collected from 10 tribal hamlets of Mahad. (From 2004 to 2006) Veer tembi adiwasi hamlet is highest among ten. This hamlet is more prone to health hazards as compare to others. Both husband and wife is an alcoholic and almost 5 month of the year, they work at bricklin sites. Income sources is very meager, 30 Rs. per day. The tribal have massively been exploited by local landlords. Nevertheless, adivasi hardly venture upon to complain unjust inflicted on them.
Recently introduced scheme of the state is Doctor tumchya gaavi (doctor in your village) but subsequently district faces stringent dearth of doctors. One of the health workers, P. Patil said that an assigned doctor at PHC is not able to manage the sick villages as well as to look after the PHC. “Government should appoint final year medical students to join the campaign’’ he added.
WANTED: Class I officers 24 and Class II officers 27 posts are vacant across the district. Gynecologist, pediatrician, orthopedics are also in demand at all state run government hospitals in Raigad.
In a recent incidence, Mahad rural hospital had referred an adivasi patient of Karanjadi village to Alibag civil hospital for citiscan. They admitted patient in the hospital for good two days and then sent back to Mahad by hospital van. (After two days patient died) The hospital administration had charged 2,500 Rs. for transporting the patient to the village, patient’s relatives complain. Eventually, all below poverty line people are entitled free treatment including transportation in case of emergencies.
Right to Health is a Hunan Right: WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, Bill Gates Foundation, Clinton Foundation, World Banks and much other international organization are funding developing countries/government to improve its basic health infrastructure in order to bring down malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and many more dreaded disease. Most of the PHC in Raigad are sponsored by Indo-Jerman project. In addition, many health projects have been funded by the International Funding Agencies. But we do not know what evaluation criteria is resorted by these Agencies to evaluate the work or projects.
Most of the funds are siphoning to the bigger Cities like Mumbai. However, let us pause a while and think. Where this population is coming from? The inflow of migration is mostly from rural area. Where should we concentrate our funds for the betterment of health or other basic infrastructures? This marginalized families prefers to live in slums. In the first place, we are creating slums in the metropolitan cities and on the other hand, we are proposing rehabilitation projects. Does not this sound absurd?
We are talking about the SEZ, building a giant infrastructure for hotel, industry, shopping malls and luxurious multiplexes. What about the basic infrastructure and needs such as health, education and water?
The water sources in the district has been polluted due to chemical effluents that is being discharged into rivers has become a major cause of concern in view of public health. Since decades in many villages, private tankers are supplying water. Water appears as mirage to millions of people of the district. Hundreds of water schemes have paralyzed or failed due to political turmoil across the district. We can surely avoid 80% diseases/ sickness by providing potable water to the people!
Article 25(1) of the universal declaration of human rights 1948 assures that every one has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family including medical care and necessary social services and the right to security in the event of sickness, disability, old age etc. Right to life is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the constitution.
Article 12 of the International Covenant on Econonic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) recognizes the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
From this scenario, it is vivid that the government is violating the very fundamental rights of each citizen of this country.
S P Navkar ( social worker)
9272445189/ spnavkar@rediffmail.com
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