Even as the World Health Day was observed on Friday, here is a reality check of Odisha where during the year ended on March 31, 2017, a whopping 87 per cent of the State’s population was reported to be sick. A six per cent of the population in was reported to be acutely sick as they had undergone treatment in the inpatient departments (IPDs) of various hospitals.
According to patient load data available with the State Health Department and accessed to by The Pioneer, a high of over 3.85 crore people attended the outpatient department (OPD) of health centres across the State in 2016-17. Similarly, the load in IPDs in the State has been estimated at over 26 lakh in 2016-17. Trend analysis reveals that while OPD load in 2016-17 increased over the year 2015-16, the IPD load somewhat eased in 2016-17.
What comes significant from an analysis of the patient load in the health centres is that women and child patients outnumber men. And more alarming fact to the fore is that women and children account for the highest proportion of death burden in hospitals across the State. This reveals a sorry state of affairs in maternal and child health scenario in the State.
Sample this. As per the available data on death burden at IPDs, a high of nearly 53,000 deaths were reported in 2016-17. Significantly, around 25,000 such IPD deaths were women inpatients. It needs to be reminded that over three-fifths of IPD patients are women only. The causes of death range from birth-related to TB, pneumonia, cervix cancer, acute anaemia, etc.
The data further reveal that women and children accounted for nearly four-fifths of the patients. While women accounted for over three-fifths, children accounted for nearly one-fourth of the patient load.
A district-wise analysis reveals that Malkangiri and Rayagada recorded highest patient load where around 95 per cent of population attended OPDs for treatment. Koraput followed with a patient load of around 91 per cent. Northern Odisha followed the southern region in generating high patient load with Mayurbhanj and Baleswar accounting for around 84 per cent of population attending OPDs in 2016-17. In western Odisha, Sundargarh topped with the patient load amounting to around 83 per cent of the population followed by Bargarh with around 78 per cent patient load.
The alarming fact: These mostly tribals-dominated districts reported that most health centres had high doctor vacancies. Kalahandi, in spotlight last year for the Dana Majhi episode, has a whopping 65 per cent of population who reported at OPDs for treatment.
Boudh and Rayagada topped with highest proportion of women inpatients to total inpatients admitted to in respective IPDs across districts in the State. Jharsuguda topped with the highest proportion of child inpatients to total inpatients admitted.