Indian states have formulated strategies to deal with health-related challenges, especially malnutrition eradication, but the enormity of this issue in Chhattisgarh is more than other places, says Taaran Prakash Sinha
There is a saying in Arabic which means ‘The one who has health, has hope. And the one who has hope, has everything’. To save the world, we need to save humans and to save humans, we need to take care of their health. In this way, the concern for protecting human health is the concern to save the world.
The question is how are we fulfilling our responsibilities towards protecting human health. According to World Health Organisation's report, situation in many nations of the world is extremely shocking. One of the major threats that the world has been facing is of malnutrition. According to United Nations, every year in India, nearly 10 lakh children below the age of five years die because of it.
Each state of India has formulated its own strategy to deal with health-related challenges, especially malnutrition eradication. The enormity of this challenge in Chhattisgarh is way more as compared to the other states. On November 1, Chhattisgarh would complete 20 years of formation. Around 43 per cent of the land was covered in forest while naxalism posed as a major challenge. Till date, major chunk of the population living in remote areas of the state do not have access to the basic facilities. This is the reason why malnutrition took a monstrous shape in the state.
Approximately 41.50 per cent of the girls and women of age 15 to 45 years are anemic. It is evident that most of these people belong to tribal communities and BPL category. If we recall the quote — ‘malnutrition is a kind of epidemic’, we can fathom the seriousness of the situation. State Government has marked the indicators of health-related challenges in Chhattisgarh and has started implementing the strategic action plan. Initial results of this action plan has turned out to be extremely promising. New government of the state has taken ‘Gadhbo Naya Chhattisgarh’ as its motto, which means — ‘we will create new Chhattisgarh’. All kinds of measures are being taken to achieve the goal of providing basic facilities to even the remotest area.
With the aim of making Chhattisgarh malnutrition-free, Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi ji, launched five new schemes simultaneously, which includes four schemes directly related to nutrition and health. New government has revised the previously existing PDS system and transformed it into Universal PDS-APL System. Under the new system, every section of the society will be provided nutritious food.
Every basic facility, lack of which has been included in the list of major threats by WHO, is being provided effectively by the government under Chief Minister Haat-Bazaar Clinic Scheme and Chief Minister Urban Slum Health Scheme, thus minimising the threat. Objective of the former is to provide health facilities to even the last person living in remote area, especially tribal regions of the state. Under this scheme, government mobile clinic facility is provided in weekly haat-bazaars, wherein check-up, treatment and medicines along with regular health services are provided. Before the launch of this scheme at state-level, it was started as a pilot project in tribal areas.
Despite the sufficient availability of government and private hospitals, ultramodern equipment, buildings, qualified doctors and trained health workers in the state, a major part of Chhattisgarh has been waiting for the ray of hope for good health. And this is the part, where soul of the state resides. Finally the time has come, when the soul of the state will be illuminated.
(The author is IAS commissioner, Public Relations, Chhattisgarh.)