Medically Aware and Responsible Citizens of Hyderabad (MARCH), a city based group that has been instrumental in initiating many progressive changes in the health sector in the country, has taken serious objection to the inordinate delay in setting up of a taskforce on "Rural Medical and Health Care" in Andhra Pradesh even after two years of its announcement.
The Association fears that all efforts of the state government to improve the rural health scenario would go down the drain if a taskforce, meant for suggesting the methods and monitoring proper utilization of the existing treatment facilities, were not in place. MARCH doubts that the government is not at all serious in seeing that the benefits of the various government initiated programmes for improving rural healthcare infrastructure are really reaching the target group.
Interestingly, the government is on an infrastructure development spree with the second phase of the World Bank assisted Andhra Pradesh First Referral Health System Project (APFRHSP) also being flagged off recently. The second phase is to see the setting up of 646 new primary health centers in the state. MARCH argues that unless there are sufficient health inspectors who are willing to work in the villages, the infrastructure is of no use to the public. It feels that there is an urgent need for the taskforce to identify such practical problems and suggest remedies if the money spent in the name of improving rural health conditions is not to be wasted.
The setting up of a taskforce to identify the problems related to the effective implementation of rural healthcare programmes and to suggest remedial measures was announced by the chief minister two years ago. The CM had asked MARCH to take the lead and submit a draft proposal explaining the nature and scope of the taskforce. The Association was prompt enough to respond to the government request in record time and the guideline was accepted in Toto at least in principle by the authorities concerned. However, the state government failed to proceed further and the guidelines, which would have been of much help to the government in formulating a practical health policy for rural health care is gathering dust since then, it is learnt.
The MARCH guidelines reflect the urgent need for the proper utilisation of the existing facilities in the health sector. It has given much importance to the role of awareness programmes in the prevention of diseases, family planning operations, sanitation, nutrition, population control, sex education, environmental studies and pollution control.
"MARCH has not asked any financial assistance from the government for setting up the taskforce. What we need is the setting up of an official taskforce comprising of professionals and experts in the field. Once the recommendations of the taskforce comes, it will be easy for the government to understand the real problems that are hindering the effective implementation of its projects and programmes," Dr P M Bhargava, chairman, MARCH said.
MARCH is of the opinion that the budgetary allocation towards rural healthcare should directly go to respective panchayats and the implementation should be monitored by an official taskforce constituted for the purpose. "Let the taskforce apprise the cabinet every month on the progress of the projects sanctioned by the state government. The results will be tremendous", Dr Bhargava felt.
The setting up of rural medical and healthcare taskforce is one of the several programmes initiated by MARCH during the last five years. The Association was responsible for introduction of an accreditation system for the clinical, pathological and biochemical laboratories' in the country. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is the body that gives this accreditation.