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Ansari expresses concern over healthcare in U.P.

Atiq Khan

“It seems the State you are born determines how long you live”

Around half of the children are stunted and underweight
Over 11 per cent of the population unable to access medical care

Photo: Subir Roy

PLAINSPEAK: Vice-President Hamid Ansari (right) with R.K. Bali, who was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Science, at the fourth convocation of the CSM Medical University in Lucknow on Tuesday. —

LUCKNOW: Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Tuesday expressed concern over the low level of human development in Uttar Pradesh and pointed out that deficiencies in the State’s health sector would have disastrous consequences for the poor.

Mr. was delivering the convocation address at the fourth convocation of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU) here.

Low human development

The health of the citizens was a component of the globally and nationally accepted parameters of human development. On this count, and as the State Planning Department has noted, “U.P. continues to languish at a low level of human development,” he said.

The matter needed to be addressed in terms of perceptions, policy, proper infrastructure, budgetary allocations and administrative procedures.

Mr. Ansari drew a parallel between life expectancy at birth in U.P. at 56 years with that of Kerala (74 years). “It seems that the State you are born determines how long you will live,” he said.

The Vice-President’s observations were made in the presence of State Health and Family Welfare Minister Anant Kumar Mishra, who earlier expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Mayawati for extending healthcare to the poor despite “severe financial constraints of the State government.”

Mr. Ansari said there was a significant gap between the aspirations of the people for quality healthcare and the [ground] reality in Uttar Pradesh.

Quoting from the National Family Health Survey of 2005-2006, he said 50 per cent of women in the 15-50 age group and 85 per cent children below three years suffered from anaemia, whereas around half of the children born in U.P. were stunted and underweight.

While less than 25 per cent of the children were completely immunised, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in U.P. was 73 per 1,000, against the national average of 57.

While emphasising that the focus should be on reduction in IMR, Mr. Ansari said that to achieve this objective explicit commitments in the policy and programmes should be made.

Only 9 per cent of the State’s population were able to use government healthcare facilities for treatment of ordinary ailments with the rest depending on private health care.

Proper attention should be given to preventive healthcare, with concomitant resource allocation.

Over 11 per cent of the State’s population was unable to access medical care due to locational reasons, and even if they get access, there was no guarantee of sustained care.

On the linkage between health expenditure and rural indebtedness, the Vice President quoted from the State Planning Department report, which stated that 34 per cent of U.P.’s BPL population had to either borrow heavily or to sell assets to meet medical expenses.

Service delivery reforms and management, especially when doctors were reluctant to serve in rural areas, was a major impediment in providing proper health services to the rural poor.

Mr. Ansari stressed the need to enhance human resource in the health sector to overcome the shortage of doctors and paramedics in U.P. The State should seek inspiration from other State governments on health insurance cover to the poor.

Improvement in situation

Governor and Chancellor of the university T.V. Rajeswar, who presided over the function, said though India lagged behind in fund allocation for medical science, the situation had improved in the last five years. But much needed to be done.

Mr. Rajeswar also underlined the importance of stem cell research.

The honorary degree of Doctor of Science was conferred on Purushottam Upadhyaya, Snehalata Deshmukh, Hargovind Laxmishanker Trivedi and R.K. Bali.

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