Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Department Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi clearly indicated that the department was inadequately worried about current pathetic situation at rural and semi-urban health centres and was busy painting glossy picture for department in future.
He said on the occasion of counting achievements of department during last 1,000 days of BJP Government in power that ongoing construction of three medical colleges in Palamu, Hazaribagh and Dumka remained among top three achievements. But he evidently appeared on back foot while dealing with questions related to prevailing pathetic approach of doctors, para-medical staff and overall facilities in rural and semi-urban health centres in State including unavailability of ambulances at even health centres in capital city.
Not only the Minister, but Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sudhir Tripathi too admitted flaws in prevailing modus operandi of health centres and blamed shortage of doctors which has mounted up to 50 percent at block levels for delivery of poor and unsatisfactory health services. He said that the government was willing to take undertaking of working in rural areas for at least one year from medical students who pursue MBBS on State quota very much in line with what has been taken from students pursuing MD.
Despite all this, Tripathi outrightly rejected the idea of any ban on private practice of Government doctors as of now. Moreover, he couldn’t provide any data regarding how many doctors who repeatedly stayed away from their workstations were punished in recent months and what was the quantum of punishment so far.
“We have planned long term solution for changing face of healthcare in State. Upgradation of district hospitals in Palamu, Hazaribagh and Dumka into medical colleges is one of them. Capacity expansion at existing hospitals across the State is another. Under construction AIIMS in Deoghar will change whole scenario not only in the region but in entire State after its OPD turns operational by 2019-20,” said Minister on Sunday.
“But I believe Mukhyamantri Health Insurance Scheme which is going to be launched on November 15 this year under which around 58 lakh families covered under Food Security Act with free health insurance up to `2 lakh yearly and rest of any of the families will get same facility at a premium of `500 only with change entire narrative of healthcare discourse in the State,” added the Minister.
Tripathi said that the department avoided getting involved at petty issues and was focusing on something really important and big for enhancement of healthcare in State. “We had to have at least 2,000 MBBS seats in State by now keeping the population and total number of MBBS seats in country in mind, but we are struggling to get it at 600 by next year. This is the issue. We are not producing enough MBBS and MDs, so we are lacking specialist doctors, this is the issue. And we are trying our best to come out of these blues which would actually change the face of healthcare in days to come,” said Tripathi.