VILLAGE HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS- AN INSIGHT

VILLAGE HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS- AN INSIGHT

My stay at village for last three days, gave me an opportunity to look at the health management systems. Due to climate change from rainy season to winter, I could see many people suffering from fever, cold, cough. In our family, couple of them are down with fever for last six days and managing with advise from a local health worker who makes home visits or relay on local chemist who give medicines based on budget.

They are reluctant to go to Community Health Centre, quoting reasons such as distance, doctor availability etc. There is a general feeling the Government facilities are meant for weaker sections and poor. Due to this social stigma even the poor among the other sections are not utilizing the facilities available in village. Either they are compromising for low quality service or spending huge amounts by visiting nearby town. Similar social stigma prevail among weaker sections too. Once they move from daily wager to share crop farmer status, they try to exhibit their self acquired new status through private health care & schooling at unaffordable cost.

Our village is a mandal head quarter and equipped with Community Health Centre with 30 bed facility with four qualified doctors and all support functions. As I gathered information the doctors availability, medicines , cleanliness etc are rated about 5 on 10 point scale and regular OP is there. These facilities are certainly far superior to informal village systems and better than many private facilities in nearby town Tenali. As practically experienced OP in Kollipara with free consultation & free medicines ( 40-50%) took about less than 30 minutes as against over 2 hours at Tenali with total expenditure of over Rs.500/- other than the travel time.

IF THIS IS THE SITUATION IN A VILLAGE WITH BETTER ACCESS & FACILITIES, IMAGINE THE SITUATION IN REMOTE AND UNDERDEVELOPED VILLAGES? HOW TO ENSURE PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS?

BG Reddy-9866889246
grbonthu@gmail.com