NRHM left in the lurch, says Sundararaman

September 21, 2014 11:49 pm | Updated October 26, 2016 01:14 pm IST - GUNTUR:

National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) which played a key role in addressing basic rural health issues is now on a sick bed adding to the woes of a crippling public health care system in the country. The Union government has stopped allocating grants under Planning Commission citing fiscal discipline forcing the NRHM to ease its way out.

“The government is opening its arms inviting foreign players in lucrative health care sector while leaving NHRM in the lurch,” Executive Director of National Health System Resource Centre of NRHM T. Sundararaman told The Hindu here on Sunday on the sidelines of 7th annual Jasti Sesha Reddy Memorial Lecture.

The NRHM during 2005-2010 had played a major role in delivery of health services in rural areas. Institutional delivery of babies had gone up under ‘Janani Suraksha Scheme,’ while ‘ASHA’ volunteers played a major role in educating women on health issues. The workforce across the country has been doubled from 1.5 lakh volunteers.

With the Union government showing its intent in allowing private sector in the health care sector, it could be well be curtains down for the NRHM and only a popular wave of support could help restore NRHM, Dr. Sundararaman said.

Listing out the challenges before public health sector, Dr. Sundararaman said that privatisation, pan insurance schemes and social health care remain the bigger challenges. The Centre was also toying with the idea of introducing a pan insurance scheme and asked States to be a part of it.

The solutions to get the ailing public health system back on tracks lies in proper interlinking of health systems from primary and secondary health sectors to social health workers and put the thrust back on ethical medical care.

India could take a leaf out of the book of China which has cracked whip on unethical medical system. For instance it has imposed a huge penalty on a leading drug manufacturer after allegations of bribing doctors were proved, Dr. Sundararaman added.

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