Pralay Shrivastava

Health services have been among the top priorities of the state government. In the area of health services Madhya Pradesh has touched new heights during the last four years due to successful implementation of health schemes and programmes by the state government. During this period the state government left no stone unturned to provide health services not only in cities and townships but also the remotest areas of the state. To ensure continued health services, the state government set right the management of hospitals and dispensaries and recruited large number of contract doctors, staff nurses and paramedical staff. Under the new Medicine Policy, schemes regarding safe motherhood were also implemented successfully.

In deference to the wishes of Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the state government self-imposed the responsibility to take care of everyone's health. That is why adequate importance was given to improvement and strengthening of medical institutions. Having carried health services to remotest parts of the state, the Madhya Pradesh government is pleased to see its goal being accomplished successfully. During the last four years people's inclination towards government hospitals and dispensaries has been restored with the improvement in health services and novel medicare facilities. Those women who preferred to deliver child in their houses, are not turning up at government hospitals. In the Joint Review Survey conducted by government of India, Madhya Pradesh has been shown as the fastest growing state in terms of health services. Madhya Pradesh has secured first position with 12 out of 14 points in the survey conducted by Joint Review Mission. Madhya Pradesh has won a word of praise for successfully implementing National Rural Health Mission and RCCH.

Sightlessness Eradication Programme

* 116 per cent achievement

* Eyes of 32.50 lakh children checked

* Cataract operations of 52 per cent women

* 97 transplantation of IOL lenses

* One vision centre on every 50,000 persons

* 40 vision centres this year

Many new medical institutions have also come up in the state during the last our years. Twelve new hospitals have been opened and 11 medical institutions have been converted into civil hospitals. Forty-four existing Primary Health Centres were upgraded as 30-bed Community Health Centres. During the same four-year period, three trauma centres were set up in Guna, Shivpuri and Ratlam. The four-year achievement of the state government on health front include setting up of nine Treatment Centres at Dhar, Mandla, Morena, Chhatarpur, Satna, Chhindwara, Hoshangabad, Khandwa and Guna. The offices of 7 divisional health directors and other health services were restarted. Offices of chief medical and health officer were established in Anuppur, Ashok Nagar and Burhanpur. Sanction has been given to construct buildings of 30-bed community health centres at 47 places, 20-bed community health centres at 90 places and primary health centres at 431 places.

Under the Sightlessness Eradication Programme during the last four years more then hundred percent success has been achieved in cataract operations including 2,62,224 in 2004-05 (104 percent), 2,74,619 in 2005-06 (110 percent) and 2,90,973 in 2006-07 (116.39 percent). Forty visions centres would be opened in Madhya Pradesh by the end of this year. Under Revised TB Control Programme, 142 TB Units and 714 Microscopy Centres were set up. Madhya Pradesh has also made considerable headway in leprosy eradication under National Leprosy Eradication Programme. In 2003 the rate of leprosy cases was 1.64 per 10000 which has now reduced to 0.59 per ten thousand.

* Leprosy rate reduced to 0.59 per ten thousand

* 4024 leprosy patients cured

* 5173 patients discovered in 2006-07

* Affected rate of 43 districts less than one

Under State Sickness Assistance Plan, those who suffer from fatal and serious illness are given help to the tune of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 to undergo treatment at the recognised hospitals of the state and country. During the last four years 252 patients were treated with the assistance to the tune of Rs 11 crore. This scheme has now been extended to the district level. Therefore, the fund for this scheme has been raised to Rs 10 crore from Rs 5 crore.

The new schemes launched on the health front during the last four years are gaining in popularity day by day. One of such schemes is Deendayal Antodaya Upachar Yojana under which a below poverty line patient is provided free medicare to the tune of Rs 20000 on being hospitalised in a government hospital in a financial year. Family Health Card is being provided to 51 lakh families under this scheme. So far, 5,22,413 patients have availed of this scheme's benefits. Under the scheme to provide conveyance and treatment for delivery of expectant mothers, 2,13,860 women have been benefited. A government of India survey has acknowledged that in Madhya Pradesh there has been a marked decrease in mother mortality rate (from 498 to 370 per one lakh) and child mortality rate ( from 87 per thousand to 66 per thousand).

Under Vijayaraje Janani Kalyan Beema Yojana, 73,857 women were benefitted. Deendayal Mobile Hospitals were introduced in 11 tribal development bocks in the state. Under this scheme patients are provided quality medicare at their doorsteps. Seven lakh 18 thousand patients have been benefited by this scheme so far. The state government has introduced new mobile clinics in 40 more tribal-dominant development blocks from August 15 this year. With a view to promote institutional delivery, Janani Express Yojana was introduced in 90 hospitals of 47 development blocks. In selected areas, an ambulance is ready round the clock for providing conveyance to expectant mother for delivery. Under Janani Sahyogi Yojana, 118 private sector institutions have been authorised.

Major successes have been achieved in the area of nursing services also during the last four years. 1500 new posts of staff nurses have been created and regular appointments have been given to 1000 staff nurses. For the first time 890 staff nurses were appointed in only two months during April-May 2007. Nursing training centres are being run in Madhya Pradesh. The state government would bear the expenditure of Rs 50,000 per student per year ( for four years) of 500 students taking admission in 20 non-government nursing colleges by run with public-private partnership. In lieu of this help, the students would have to serve the government for seven years after completion of their courses. Similarly, 900 ANMs have been appointed under RCH programme.

With a view to ensuring availability of doctors in rural areas, Interns have been given a mandatory six-month posting in rural areas. During these four years 675 contract doctors have been posted in the rural areas. Regular appointment has been given to 221 doctors from the year 2003 to 2007. Under RCH programme 144 post-graduate teachers have been appointed on contract basis. The state government has empowered Rogi Kalyan Samitis and they are now earning more profits. This year Rs 16 crore would be allocated to Rogi Kalyan Samiti as grant. During the last four years, these committees earned Rs 39 crore 47 thousand as profit.

Malaria

Due to effort put in by the state government, there has been a marked decrease in malaria cases in Madhya Pradesh. In comparison to 2006, this year from January to May this year there has been a 20 percent decrease in malaria and 11 percent decrease in falciparum malaria cases. During this period blood of 22 lakh 92 thousand 488 persons was tested. Out of these, only 10,250 were found suffering from malaria while the number of malaria patients in the same period in 2006 was 12 thousand and 760. In 1998, 2,16,127 malaria patients were discovered but the through the sustained efforts of the state government their number started decreasing and came down to 96 thousand 130 in the year 2006. In this way, there has been 55 percent decrease in malaria cases if we assume 1998 as the cut figure.

Keeping in view successful implementation of health programmes and service in Madhya Pradesh, National Rural Health Mission has sanctioned a Rs 544 crore state-level action plan. Not only this, but the NEHM authorities have lavished praise on the state for successfully and effectively implementing the state-level action plans. 30 out 31 marks have been given to Madhya Pradesh. Government of India has praised Madhya Pradesh in the following words;

'The action plan chalked out by Madhya Pradesh is a leading light for other states. The action plan has been chalked out as per the guidelines laid down by the Union government in the booklet ' Guidelines for making RCH-2 state level implementation plan'. Therefore, this document is definitely readable and is a lesson for other states'.