The 10th Common Review Mission (CRM) report of the National Health Mission (NHM) has been released recently. It gives an overview of the status of various medical schemes and projects floated by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Planning. The report essentially serves as roadmap for future planning at the level of Union Health and Family Planning Ministry. The report is a mix of achievements and deficits both going hand in hand when we make a state-wise analysis. For example, the implementation of the Pre- Conception, Pre Natal Diagnostic Technique (PCPNDT) Act, which criminalizes the use of ultrasound machines to determine the sex of an unborn child, is poor in most states. It means that the number of persons convicted under the Act is very small and various reasons have been given for this situation like lack or inadequacy of witnesses, insufficient evidence and out-of-court settlements. But it has to be noted that performance differs from State to State.
In the matter of output of health services in different States, the report says that generally acute shortage of specialists below the district level hospitals is too serious and cannot be left to chance or speculation. Here is a shortage of man power not only at various departments but even in the administrative area also lack of adequate staff has become a burning issue. The report expresses disappointment in regard to providing adequate staff to distant hilly localities essentially because there is no road connectivity. J&K figures among the states that have initiated the process of strengthening of District Hospitals to develop them as training centers. As regards the availability of blood banks, the report states that though availability of blood services have seen an improvement in most states, there is a concern about the same in six states–Nagaland, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar–particularly at the sub- district level.
We have in these columns invited the attention of the Government and especially the Health Department to the fact that we need blood banks in our district and sub-district hospitals besides what we have at the premier hospitals in the two capital cities. The need of blood banks in District Hospitals arises from the fact that in a hilly state prone to recurring motor accidents and other tragedies, it is difficult to procure blood for the emergency cases from the blood banks in the two hospitals of premier cities.
In final analysis, we would like to impress upon the State Government that whatever deficiencies have been reported in the report of the 10th Common Review Mission, should be removed in due course of time.
Follow our WhatsApp channel