COVID - 19 and need for evaluation
Dr H Hemchandra Singh *
A Quarantine center at Thoubal :: Pix - TSE
Brief Introduction:- COVID - 19 is the talk of the day covering areas of its origin, mode of spread & impact World-Wide. Various options on Preventive & Curative services by Experts are the areas of discussion & research, as it is a newly emerging problem.
As of now, the disease has already claimed millions of lives World-Wide. The situation in India is worsening as it is gradually inching to occupy the second position next to U.S.A.
It is the alarming bell for our State as new entrants from outside cities are the sources of infection. The situation in our state is becoming from bad to worse. Very briefly, Covid - 19 has brought the entire world to a grinding halt affecting every walks of life.
In the present situation,The State Government is doing its best with all commitments & sincerity to tackle the problem. Timely decisions & actions were taken up, the Curative Component of the programme was quite satisfactory.
The performance of the Health Department particularly that of the frontline workers of the Medical Teams in Hospitals & Covid Care Centres are commendable taking into account the complexity and the nature of works involved.
So far, the number of deaths is very few when compared with the number of positive cases. This is a sensitive indicator & proof of achievement of the programme.
However, Preventive measures were not as per expectations e.g. Lock-outs & Awareness programmes, Testing coverages& no. of testing in Containment Zones & Quarantine Centres need review. Home quarantine should preferably be discouraged.
From the experiences gained in the last 4-5 months, it is perhaps the appropriate time for the Govt. to constitute
an Evaluation Committee consisting of Experts in Programme Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Techniques,
and Experts in Health & Hospital Administration,
an Expert of Social Science,
and an Imminent Journalist.
A Retd. I.A.S. officer with the experience of Planning or an Expert from the Ministry of Health, Govt. of India may be the Chairman of the Committee. It should be an Independent Body.
The main Objective is to
Analyse & Assess areas like
Policy decisions,
Planning & Management of Preventive and Curative components of the programme,
Tools & Techniques of Implementation (Most Critical Area) &
Effectiveness etc.
The Evaluation Process usually encompass areas like
Relevancy,
Adequacy,
Performance& Effectiveness (RAPE).
It may be a Concurrent or Mid-Term Evaluation. This Technique is more systematic & scientific than a routine review meeting.
The recommendations made by the Committee shall be useful Guiding Principles for future Planning & Management. Time & Money spent for such an important programme is worth.
The above suggestions are made from my limited knowledge of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation as well as my Professional Experiences as Director of Health Services.
It is for kind information & attention of the Govt. of Manipur in particular &the Public in general.
* Dr H Hemchandra Singh wrote this article for The Sangai Express
The writer is Retired Director of Health Services, Manipur.
This article was webcasted on August 31 2020 .
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