Medicine supply cut off for a year : Critical look at NRHM
- Sangai Express Editorial :: October 26 , 2013 -

"Hospitals not complying with SC norms on waste disposal."

"Tusom leaves healthcare to fate."

"Expired cotton, IV fluids crowd Ukhrul Dist Hospital."

"NHRC team visits CCpur district hospital."

These are the captions or headlines of major stories in The Sangai Express in the last two editions.

A clear reflection of where health stands in the Government scheme of things. Dejected.

This was the term used when members of the National Human Rights Commission visited and inspected the Churachandpur District Hospital.

A somewhat mild term in the sense that 'dejected' is sober when pitted against expressions like 'outraged' or 'shocked'. But the message is clear.

We do hope that the members of the National Human Rights Commission have taken note of the other stories too, notably the story of Tusom villagers and the picture of the locked Primary Health Centre at Chingai as well as the story on the Ukhrul district hospital, where the Government has failed to supply medicines for the past one year.

Take these stories along with the report that Manipur is one of the States with the lowest Infant Mortality Rate and the contradiction runs deep.

An indication that what appears on paper and what is actually happening at the ground reality can be as different as cheese and chalk.

Behind these sorry tales of health care in the State, is the blurring of the area of jurisdiction between the State Health Directorate and the National Rural Health Mission.

Which of these two institutes are responsible for supplying medicines and other appendages to the district hospitals and health centres ? Confusion and this is where the need arises to clear this confusion.

Or for that matter the possibility of some officials reaping dividends from the confusion created is a reality which should not be just swept under the carpet. A Mission without missionary zeal is not a mission, take note.

Launched as one of the flagship programmes by the Congress led UPA Government, the National Rural Health Mission came to Manipur sometime in November 2005, after the all India launch in May the same year. In the initial stage, all seemed fine, with Accredited Social Health Activists, or ASHAs, taking health care to the nook and corners of the State.

The Sangai Express had then deputed a senior reporter to the far flung areas to study what differences NRHM had made to the lives of the villagers and the reports that came were positive, very positive.

Eight years down the line and can the same thing be said today ? This is a question worth exploring.

How many times in a year do officials engaged by the State NRHM actually visit the far flung areas and get a first hand account of the health status of the villagers ?

The Tusom story, which appeared in the October 25 edition of this paper should give an idea to the public and the readers.

A lone ASHA worker, with not a single health care centre with the lone Primary Health Centre located 25 kms away from the border village, tells many a story.

Delivery cases at home, especially when the Chalou river, which comes in the way between the said village and the PHC, is in spate and with only one ASHA worker and this should give an insight on how fragile rests the claim of Manipur as one of the States with the lowest Infant Mortality Rate.

We will not go to the extent of stating that the paper works were fudged, but the slip between the claim and the happenings at the ground reality is too glaring to be missed that easily.

If a district hospital has not received medicines from the Government for over a year, then one can only imagine how successful the NRHM has been in the far flung areas.