Chandigarh, March 22: National Rural Health Mission has completed five years since its inception. It was conceived with the goal to provide accessible, equitable and affordable Primary health care to the beneficiary. The efforts have proved effective as according SRS 2009 document by GOI the indicators for the city for Infant Mortality Rate, Crude Birth Rate and Crude Death Rate have improved whereby the Crude Birth rate has decreased to 15.9 from 16.4 against 22.8 at National level, the Crude Death Rate has decreased to 3.9 from 4.4 against 7.4 at National Level, Infant Mortality Rate has decreased to 25 from 28 against 50 at National Level. These achievements are the result of the various strategies undertaken by Chandigarh administration to achieve the objectives of NRHM.Activities like strengthening and upgraded of two CHCs as per IPHS, constitution of 22 Village Sanitation Committees and release of their untied grant, establishing 3 Rogi Kalyan Samitis in District Hospitals and CHCs, launching of Two Mobile Medical units for vulnerable areas and undertaking monitoring and evaluation process to judge the percolation of services at grass root level has also been implementated. The backbone of indicators is data capturing and data analysis for which an effective HMIS (Health Management Information system) has been introduced for Mother and Child tracking and offline data collection. To meet the crunch of Specialists outsourcing has been undertaken. Upgradation of infrastructure has been undertaken by upgrading CD-Industrial Area to PHC, construction of State Health System and Resource is also underway and upgradation of three more CDs to PHC level is also in the pipeline.
The innovations of last year which have shown positive result and titled the balance of the health indicators to the better side are Project Foundation(Adoption of Villages) the motive of initiating this innovative venture was to have ‘Healthy roots for healthy fruits’ by having a focused approach in targeting the rural population on the parameters of all National Health Programmes in a cyclic fashion thereby covering all the 22 villages under each programme and ensuring an ideal status for that villages. This activity shall continue this year too.
The second venture which has proved to the an important tool for inter-sectoral convergence is Project- Swasthya Manch which uses the existing platform of Village Health Nutrition Day held on last Friday of every month as an inter- sectoral convergence whereby four departments namely Health, Sanitation, Rural Development & State Aids Control Society come together to address the grievances of the residents pertaining to their respective departments. The remedial measures are either suggested there and then if not then in the next meeting. This activity shall continue this year too. An issue which was the cause of concern for child health is the drop out from immunization schedule whereby the children are detected either partially immunized or fully unimmunized especially in the slums. To particularly track and immunize these children residing in slums or in the migratory settlements.
Various National Programmes are moving steadily and making considerable progress for their indicators as well as for the projection of the implementation as under Reproductive Child Health Programme for Pregnant Women care: Efforts are being made to track every pregnant woman and provide her Quality Health Care. Extensive IEC is being done to generate awareness regarding the availability of JSY funds for beneficiaries since at the times there is difficulty in availability of BPL/Yellow Cards etc. The criteria for JSY eligibility have been revised. Post delivery home care visits have been intensified to identify any complication and care of the new born babies especially the low weight babies.
For effective immunization coverage the services are being provided at all health facilities but to capture the drop out and the migrants an activity by name of Project UDDHAR has been implemented which is proving fruitful for the programme.
School Health Programme is steadily forwarding on the way of Health Promotion. Positive response of children and parents have encouraged the efforts of School Health Programme. Now great no. of children are seeking help for prevention of health problems on their own and they are coming to school health OPD with their parents for counselling and treatment- In addition, the programme is transporting children for treatment of Medical, Dental & Eye problems. Medical examination of 88,259 children has been conducted till December, 2010. Dental Treatment is being carried out in full swing. 26,436 no. of children have been treated free of cost in School Health Dental O.P .D in the year April 2010 December 2010.1800 number of spectacles have been provided to the children in the year April 2010- December, 2010.