CHANDIGARH: Health services have got a big boost in Haryana with the Implementation of the concepts of public-private partnership, tele-medicine and a placement policy, formation of Village Health and Water Sanitation Committees and identification of   Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) during the year 2007.

The year 2007 also witnessed some encouraging revelations in health sector of Haryana. Both the WHO and UNICEF declared Haryana as free from neo-natal tetnus in the year 2006. The other health indicators also showed marked improvement. According to survey conducted by Government of India, the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), which was presumed to be 300 per lakh deliveries was 162. The Infant Mortality Rate  (IMR), which was 61 per thousand live births as per Sample Registration Survey  (SRS) 2004 (published in 2006) now reduced to 42 as per National Family Health Survey-III. The institutional deliveries, which were 23 per cent in 2004, increased to 53 per cent in 2007 as a result of a number of steps taken by the Health Department.

The public-private partnership in delivery of health services also got impetus. Neurology and psychiatry services, along with clinical research facilities, are being offered at civil hospital, Gurgaon by a private institution known as  National Brain Research Centre which is getting financial assistance from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
 
As many as 117 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were received from private practitioners to get empaneled so as to provide specialist services to the poor. The State Government has initiated a scheme called VIKALP  for families living Below Poverty Line (BPL) so as to provide them treatment  through accredited private hospitals. About 1500 families have been registered with each empaneled doctor wherever specialist services are not available in Government institutions. These specialists are paid prescribed honorarium for providing specialist services and follow up to the families.

General hospital, Sonepat and Community Health Centre (CHC), Gohana were linked to a prestigious hospital of Delhi for diagnostic services under the Tele-medicine Program. Similarly, Pt. B.D.S. Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak and Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh have also been linked under Tele-medicine.

As a major initiative, the Government has implemented a Placement Policy to address the mismatch between the machine and manpower and availability of specialists in rural health institutions. As many as 150 Medical Officers were posted through counseling. Contractual positions of specialists and paramedics have been filled up to bridge the critical gap in providing reproductive child health services. It was decided that one-year rural service of the doctors serving in difficult areas will be treated equivalent to two years of rural services for  admission to post graduation.The Drug Procurement Policy was revised to ensure provision of quality generic medicines to make affordable health care possible. Haryana Health Minister, Mrs Kartar Devi has credited the significant improvement in health services to the commitment of the Chief  Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda to make Haryana number one State in all spheres of development and effective implementation of  various programmes by the Department with the support of  the people. The opening of delivery huts got impetus as their figure touched the mark of 475  to provide safe delivery services with privacy, clean and hygienic environment and strong referral network. Since the inception of the scheme, 30,000 deliveries have been conducted in these delivery huts. Special attention was paid to Mewat area where a special scheme was launched in July 2007  to provide ambulance or transport facility for all pregnant women to ensure safe delivery services in clean and hygienic  conditions round-the-clock.

It was in the year 2007 that the State got second conviction  of a doctor of Rohtak under the Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique  (PNDT) Act. As a result of the implementation of the provisions of the PNDT Act and other measures taken with the support of the people, the data of registration of births in the year 2007, up to July revealed that sex ratio between 0 and six years of age has improved to 862  as against 819 during Census 2001.

The Department  further simplified the process of registration of births and deaths in the State so as to make it more people friendly.  Now registration forms have been made available at every Anganwadi centre and Anganwadi workers  will collect copy of the certificate duly signed by the Registrar from the Primary Health Centre (PHC) and deliver the same to the concerned family.

While effectively implementing the National Rural Health Mission in its true spirit, each sub centre has been provided Rs.10,000 as untied funds for its community needs. Out of targeted identification of 14,000 ASHAs more than11,000 ASHAs have been identified  to provide a link between the community and the health service providers for demand generation and optimal utilization of health services. Also, about 5,000 Village Health and Water Sanitation Committees have been constituted to boost health related activities.  Having renovated all its health institutions, the Department is improving the condition of operation theatres and labour rooms. The Department also started upgradation of Community Health Centres to the   Indian Public Health Standards.

Under the School Health Programme,two mass deworming campaigns were held during 2007 for primary school children under which free medicines were given on the spot for minor ailments.Other programmes of the Health Department were also implemented during the year.