Healthcare provisions, opportunities, demands and expectations
By: Dr Imtiyaz Rasool Ganai
There are scores of Healthcare schemes for general public initiated by the government especially by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Healthcare sector has furnished panacea to citizens irrespective of economic background, gender and age considerations and without any exaggeration the Healthcare in Government Hospitals across the country are affordable with a vast network of Hospitals and healthcare centers catering to millions of people. But the provisions and faculties need to be percolated to gross root level were we have huge population living in remote areas far from modern Healthcare.
NHRM was launched in 2013 to revisit the health policy by building hospitals and developing infrastructure in rural hospitals and filling the positions of Para and Medical manpower. Since India is signatory to the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978 and is hence committed to attain provide Health provision for all citizens, in this regard slew of measures are Under way to bring the change and develop a robust Healthcare system.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has initiated various schemes for citizens especially children, Women and old age People and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram for the benefit of Women and infant has been initiated under its purview care is taken at Govt Hospitals during and after the Pregnancy of women and free check up for one month for Infants. As per data from ministry, more than one crore women were benefitted from this scheme and 1600 crore were spent in this regard. It merits mention here that in Hospitals we have free and cashless service to pregnant women covering delivery and C-section, drugs and consumables, diagnostics, diet, provision of blood, transportation from home to hospital and return. In 2018 Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) scheme was launched across India for affordable health care to poor and underprivileged citizens who can get cashless health care in empanelled hospitals up to the amount of Rs 5.lac within a year and in this regard Ayushman Gold cards are issued by the department.
The provisions also include free critical care ambulances service in case of emergency on dialing toll free number 108. These ambulances are well equipped with life saving support system within it and as per reports from Medical and Health Education, from March 2020 to August 2021 in Jammu and Kashmir, 22432 patients availed this special service but it also Indicates that most of the people don’t use this service due to the lack of awareness.
In Jammu and Kashmir, we have vast network of Healthcare centres including Medical aid centre, sub district and district Hospitals etc. Arogya Yojana SEHAT scheme which stands for social, Endeavour, for health and tele medicine and provides free of cost insurance cover to all the residents of the JK UT. The financial cover upto RS.5 Lakh per family. It covers medical procedures including oncology, cardiology etc up to three days of pre- hospitalization and 15 days post hospitalization expenses and diagnostics and medicines are also in the scheme.
In valley we have 10 District hospitals, 47 CHC’s, 229 PHC’s, 121 NTPHC which speaks about the well developed network of healthcare facilities available for the masses. But the rural hospitals lack adequate staff including doctors, paramedical and diagnostic facilities as well as experts. The infrastructure of these rural PHC’s and others need to be enhanced in terms of bed strength and governments need to upgrade the old PHC which have good accommodation and catchment areas. Doctors should be posted on rotation basis while diagnostic labs and Machines required at such facilities should be provided and installed hassle free. Staff strength enhancement should be the priority of Govt while digital machines for diagnostics and clinical testing are a must in rural areas. The paramedical staff should be recruited adequately in order to make lab and diagnostic center functional for 24×7.
