‘Poor operations result in 88pc slash in financial assistance’

BILAL HUSSAIN

SRINAGAR, Mar 2: The poor utilization of central assistance by the health and medical education department in J&K has resulted into slash down of assistance by Government of India during the years 2008-09 and 2009-10 by 63 per cent and 88 per cent respectively compared to the release of 2007-08, Economic Survey 2012 reveals.

According to the report concrete steps need to be initiated by the department to ensure full utilization of funds in consonance with the guidelines for availing maximum central assistance besides evolving appropriate monitoring mechanism to ensure optimum utilization of funds.

While giving an overview of the physical achievements of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in J&K— a flagship programme of Ministry of Health, Family Welfare and MCH, GoI was launched in December 2005— the report reveals that during first four years of implementation of the NRHM mission: 2006-07 to 2009-10, “the progress was very slow and thus no tangible results were achieved. From the physical achievements profile, it could be inferred that much emphasis had been given for procurement of software and sensitization of stakeholders in the initial stage,” the report laments.

The economic survey discloses that shortage of various categories of staff in sample Community Health Centres (CHCs)was responsible for poor implementation of the programme. “During the field inquiry, it was observed that in the sample CHCs, the in-position specialists were 18 during 2009-10 against the requirement of 35. Similarly the requirement of staff nurses as per NRHM norms was 45, where as the number of in-position nurses were 23 thereby showing a deficit of 22,” the report divulges.

A separate AYUSH set-up was seen provided in 4 sample CHCs while as no such arrangement was provided in sample CHC of Jammu district, report points.

“Lack of infrastructure including residential quarters was also partially responsible for not ensuring round the clock functioning of Primary Health Centres (PHCs),” the report identifies. In the sample PHCs, the situation with respect to skilled manpower, equipments and drug supply were found below the norms of NRHM. However, the norms set under NRHM for the selection of ASHA were fulfilled to a great extent, it adds.

However, the report also mentions that the functioning of sample Health Institutions viz PHCs/CHCs/Sub-Centres had undergone a positive change during the Mission Period 2005-06 to 2009-10. “There seemed a sharp increase in the number of patients treated (both Indoor & Outdoor), patients referred and institutional deliveries made,” it added.