Posts filed under ‘Odisha's health care sector’
Survey finds health care in trauma in Kalahandi and Balangir districts
Following is a report from the Telegraph
Bhubaneswar, Aug. 12: Another case of dengue death was today reported from the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, while swine flu has already claimed nine lives in the state this year.
When the state is facing multiple health issues, a Bhubaneswar-based organisation, the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD), has conducted a survey on the issue and challenges of primary heath care facilities in the two most backward districts – Kalahanadi and Balangir. The survey reveals how people are still not getting basic health services, including ambulance services.
The study was conducted in Balangir and Patnagarth constituencies of Balangir district and Narla and Junagarh constituencies of Kalahanadi district. The infamous Daana Majhi case that was reported last year, where Daana had to carry the body of his wife for nearly 12 kilometres after being unable to get the ambulance, was reported from Kalahandi district. In these four constituencies, a total of 37 primary health care centres have been selected by the organisation. The study covered primary health care centre, sub centres, villages and communities in these areas.
The expert team interviews 50 per cent of out patient department (OPD) patients visiting each PHC. The patients were selected on the basis of convenience and snowball sampling method. They were asked to share their satisfaction levels and experience at the primary health care centres. Total 370 patients (10 patients from each primary health care centres) were covered. Besides, the grassroots services providers – Accredited Social health Activists (Asha), auxiliary nurse midwives and anganwadi workers were interviewed on implementation of various government schemes.
They find unavailability of buildings as a major problem in imparting health care service to the patients. In absence of adequate and habitable staff quarters, it won’t be possible to put a check on doctor absenteeism and 24X7 primary health care centres won’t function smoothly. The primary health care centres need to be converted into 24X7 centres with in-patient department facilities.
Provision of safe drinking water and power back up (important in case of power failure during emergencies) are also major issues at the primary health care centres. The unavailability of diagnostic services and referral transport is causing a lot of difficulties for the people. While in some instances people are bound to pay higher prices in getting their medical condition resolved, in other cases, many are often showing lack of interest due to lack of money (thus, turning again to traditional healing methods or quacks).
The service providers also showed displeasure in many aspects. The doctors showed discontent regarding unavailability of staff quarters leading to daily commuting to the primary health care centres (few of them which are in remote areas).
Though medicines never run out of the stock and the quality of the medicine is good, the people don’t trust the quality of medicines as they think that government medicines are free and therefore, might be of poor quality. In many cases, doctors allegedly prescribe expensive medicines that patient parties have to buy from outside.
Asha and auxiliary nurse midwives are the health activists in the community who create awareness on health and its social determinants and mobilise the community towards local health planning and increase utilisaton and accountability of the existing health services. But these service providers face various issues at the ground level, such as communication problem, excessive field area and too much workload.
The survey report also alleges that the Asha workers are losing interest and motivation to carry out their regular duties as they are not getting incentives at the right time. Some of them also remained absent on the MAMATA Divas which is held on the second Friday of every month. Due to this continuous absenteeism, the beneficiaries have started losing trust on Asha workers.
Another major issue is lack of ambulance facilities and the people depend on their own bikes and bicycle, to reach to hospitals. Lack of ambulance facilities often turn out to be fatal for pregnant women. The status of 102 and 108 ambulance services is in highly deteriorated condition and people have been grossly disappointed.
CYSD co-founder Jagadananad said: “The study is an attempt to understand the nuances of the primary health care services provided at the grassroots and to gather the perceptions of the community regarding the services like access to health, infrastructure, human resources.”
Delivery in auto-rickshaw
A woman of Sunakhandi Tikarpada village in Kalyansighpur block of Rayagada district delivered a baby in an auto-rickshaw on her way to the hospital on Saturday. Her family members alleged that though they called the 102 ambulance service to rush her to Kalyansinghpur Community Health Centre after she complained of labour pain, the ambulance did not turn up.
Odisha govt. to float tender for five medical colleges by June
Following is a report from BS:
With the Centre’s approval for upgradation of the Puri district headquarter hospital to a medical college besides four other such facilities at Balasore, Koraput, Balangir and Baripada, the Odisha government today said it is all set to float tenders for construction work in June this year.
“While the Union Ministry of Health had earlier sanctioned setting up of four medical colleges at Balasore, Baripada, Balangir and Koraput by upgrading the existing district headquarter hospitals there, approval has now come for Puri hospital,” said health and family welfare secretary P K Mohapatra.
All five proposed medical colleges would have student intake capacity of 100 each and around Rs 200 crore would be spent for upgradation of the hospitals to a full-fledged medical college and hospital in each case, Mohapatra said.
The project cost will come from Centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakhsa Yojana scheme, he said adding the Centre will provide 75 per cent while the state will shoulder the rest 25 per cent cost.
Under the scheme, DHHs having more than 200 beds were considered for such upgradation, he said. Mohapatra said the state government was planning to float tenders for the five medical colleges by June 15 and start construction from October onwards.
Meanwhile, sources said the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) has given its nod to set up two medical colleges in Gajapati and Rayagada districts on PPP mode.
Each medical college will have 100 seats and 500 beds. The projects would be executed at a cost of Rs 326 crore each, they said.
Odisha presently has three government run medical colleges at Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla.
Odisha urges centre for four government medical colleges
Following is a report from the Pioneer:
Health and Family Welfare Minister Damodar Rout on Friday demanded 100 per cent support from the Central Government for setting up of four new medical colleges in the State.
Rout pressed the demands before the Centre while attending a two-day meeting of Health Ministers and Secretaries from all States convened by the Union Health Ministry in New Delhi.
Highlighting the development in the health sector of Odisha, Rout sought more Central aids for different programmes being implemented in the sector. Expressing grave concern over the health condition of primitive tribals and their low population growth rate, he advocated for greater focus on the tribal dominated districts, particularly the Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput (KBK) region where both infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR) as well as mortality and morbidity rates are high because of incidences of various diseases, especially malaria and diarrhoea.
In the last 11 years, Rout stated the State has made significant strides in bringing down IMR and MMR. Still, the IMR in the State is 57 per 1,000 live births and MMR 258 per lakh live births. The figures are still higher than the national average and hence much need to be done to reduce them,” said Rout, adding, “For development and upgradation of health infrastructure in the State, we need Centre’s full support.”
Rout also drew the attention of the Union Health Minister for opening of Regional Geriatric and Cancer Centres in all the Government medical colleges and sanctioning more ANM and GNM training centers for the State. Further, Rout urged the Central Government to increase its share in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and reduce the State’s share from 25 per cent to 15 per cent.
Health and Family Welfare secretary Pradeepta Kumar Mohapatra and Mission Director of NRHM (Odisha) Dr Pramod Meherda attended the meeting.
Following is another report from TOI:
BHUBANESWAR: In good tidings for aspiring medical students, Odisha is all set to have four new government medical colleges, reducing the competition for admission into MBBS to some extent.
In a new experiment, the Union government is planning to open over 60 medical colleges across the country in partnership with the state governments during the 12th five year plan period (2012-2017). The Union government would fund 75% of the cost while the respective states will bear the rest 25%.
Sources said the Centre has responded favourably to a proposal of the Odisha government to open four colleges in the state. A senior state government functionary said the Centre has already given its on-principle nod to the proposal. The medical colleges would have 100MBBS seats each to begin with, he said.
Confirming the state’s move, health secretary Pradipta KumarMahapatra told TOI, “We have proposed to convert four district headquarters hospitals into medical colleges under the new plan. We are hopeful the plan will materialize.” Mahapatra said the government will select the four district hospitals in due course of time.
Government sources said availability of MBBS seats will substantially increase from next academic year irrespective of the fate of the proposed four new colleges. The government is planning to add 100 MBBS seats in SCB Medical College from 2013-14. The government has already sought the permission of the Medical Council of India for the hike.
At present, there are 500 MBBS seats in government sector in the state. These include 150 MBBS seats each in the three state-government run colleges: SCB, VSS Medical College and MKCG Medical College and 50 MBBS seats in the Union government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
After increasing the seats in SCB to 250 from next academic year, the state is also planning similar increase in seats in the two other colleges in subsequent years. Similarly, the Union government has announced to increase the MBBS seats in AIIMS to 100.
In private sector, there are 400 MBBS seats at present, 100 each in the four private medical colleges including three in Bhubaneswar and one in Rourkela. The private sector seats are likely to go up by another 100 from next year when an upcoming private medical college at Jaring in Kalahandi district starts admission.
The Centre has responded favourably to a proposal of the Odisha government to open four colleges in the state. The medical colleges would have 100 MBBS seats each to begin with, officials said
Without adequate infrastructure Odisha government plans to increase 300 MBBS seats
There are no adequate infrastructures to sustain the present MBBS students and faculty. In this circumstances such statement is like day-dreaming or the govt. is fooling the people.Â
BHUBANESWAR: The state government is planning to increase the number of undergraduate seats in all three government medical colleges to 250 each, the highest possible intake for any college under the Medical Council of India (MCI) norms. However, the government has been struggling hard to meet the standard set for the existing capacity of 150 students in these colleges.
Working on the principle that raising the capacity in the colleges instead of establishing new ones will save costs, the government has been pushing for the maximum seat possibiity. There are just 10 medical colleges across India with such peak ability.
“The government will approach MCI to consider 100 more seats for Cuttack in 2013. A year later in 2014, it will plead for similar hike in VSS Medical College and Hospital Burla and MKCG Medical College and Hospital Berhampur,” said Dr P K Das, director medical education and training (DMET).
Dr Das said the Cuttack hospital is almost ready for the increase in seats, while efforts are on to match the requirement in the two other colleges. The government will create additional lecture theatres, increase hostel capacity, create one auditorium of 650-capacity each and upgrade laboratories and libraries in these colleges. The state has to increase the bed strength in Burla and Berhampur hospitals to at least 1,190 as per MCI norms for 250 MBBS seats from the current 800 and 1,081 beds respectively. The Cuttack hospital has a bed strength of 1,600, which exceeds the minimum bed requirement criteria for 250 seats.
Dr Das said after infrastructure upgradation, there should not be any big huddles in increasing the number of seats. “We don’t have to worry much about faculties, except for filling up existing vacancies as the sanctioned strength is not far short of meeting the criteria for the proposed expansion. The government is taking steps to fill up the vacancies on a priority basis,” the DMET said.
If new medical colleges are established for 300 seats, the government will incur a cost of Rs 1,100 crore. But by spending Rs 450 crore on upgradation of infrastructure in existing colleges, the government can produce 300 more doctors every year at a 40% cost, said a senior officer of the DMET.
Notably, the government increased MBBS seats in SCB Medical College from 107 to 150 in 2006 and made similar increase in VSS and MKCG after a year in 2007. The MCI last year gave its final recognition for the increased capacity in SCB Medical College. However, it is yet to give its permanent recognition to the two other colleges. Though MCI inspection for permanent recognition in these two colleges is due in February-March, the government is still struggling to fill up largescale vacancies in the two institutions.
In Burla, around 60 of the sanctioned 163 posts in clinical disciplines are lying unoccupied, while over 20 of the 79 non-clinical posts are vacant. “We have written to the government to fill up these vacancies before the MCI inspection,” said Dr Santosh K Behera, principal of VSS Medical College. Similar largescale vacancies mar the MKCG Medical College and Hospital as well, sources said.
“We have around 50 vacancies of faculty members because base level posts of assistant professors could not be filled up for long. Now, the process has started again. We will shortly fill these vacancies,” said Dr Sunamali Bag, principal of MKCG Medical College. Hopefully by another year, the infrastructure for the proposed expansion too will be ready, he added.
Orissa has urged NALCO and SAIL to set up medical colleges
Following is from the Telegraph:
Bhubaneswar, Jan. 7: The Orissa government has urged the central public sector undertakings (PSUs) operating in the state to help it set up medical colleges in the state.
Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed the progress of various proposed medical colleges in the state.
At present, the state has six medical colleges. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Mahanadi Coal Field Limited (MCL) have agreed to set up two medical colleges.
MCL has agreed to set up a medical college at Talcher. NTPC too has agreed in principle to the proposal. It is yet to decide the location of the new college.
The state government has also approached Nalco and SAIL to help develop the state in this regard.
Investment to the tune of Rs 150 crore is needed for a medical college with a capacity to enrol 100 students per annum.
The state currently has three government medical colleges— MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, SCB Medical College, Cuttack and VSS Medical College, Burla. Besides the government colleges, there are three private medical colleges.
The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIMS) is setting up its unit in the capital city. At the meeting today, it was decided that a regional paramedical training centre would be set up at Bhubaneswar at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore to impart training to para-medical staff.
Health department sources said many organisations have submitted their proposals to set up medical colleges in backward districts like Kalahandi, Keonjhar and Balangir.
Of these, the Sahyog Health Care and Research Foundation (SHRF) has already inked an MoU with the state government to set up a multi-specialty medical college and hospital. The hospital-cum-college, at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore, would be ready by 2012.
Orissa health minister Prasanna Acharya said: “The state government would encourage establishment of more and more medical colleges and hospital in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. A proposal has been sent to Centre for establishment of one medical college and hospital in PPP mode at Koraput.” The state government has granted a no objection certificate to Hi-Tech Hospital authority to establish one medical college in Rourkela.
Decks have been cleared for the setting up of another medical college in Balangir.
Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) will fund the project.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 