MPs push for degree course on rural healthcare

Updated on: Thursday, June 30, 2011

Cutting across party lines, Members of Parliament unanimously on Wednesday supported the introduction of a Bachelor of Rural Healthcare degree course. They also backed a proposal of mandatory rural service by medical graduates.

At a meeting of the Consultative Committee on National Rural Health Mission here, the MPs demanded a stronger monitoring mechanism for this degree programme. They said there was need to ensure proper use of the money disbursed to the States, and even suggested that the fund outflow be linked to performance.

IMA against course

The Indian Medical Association, however, is opposed to the introduction of the course.

Mr. Azad said that in spite of financial and human resource incentives, non-availability of doctors and medical persons affected provision of adequate healthcare to remote and inaccessible areas.

Apprising the meeting of the ground realities at many health centres, the MPs also observed that the Accredited Social Health Activists were being overburdened with additional responsibilities. They asked the Minister to increase the awareness on the central schemes. They suggested that to make the initiatives reach the grass roots, the Ministry should provide funds to conduct health camps in different constituencies.

Responding to this, Mr. Azad said suggestions could be made to suitably modify the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to include expenditure on local health camps so that some amount out of the Rs. 5 crore could be utilised for this. The Ministry could assist in organising technical help for the same but funds could come from the MPLADS.

Referring to the recently launched Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) to provide free and cashless service to pregnant women, including normal deliveries and caesarean operations and sick newborns (up to 30 days after birth) in government health institutions in both rural and urban areas, Mr. Azad said considering the uniqueness of the scheme, the World Health Organisation has desired replication of the JSSK in other countries too.

The Minister said that a Mother and Child Tracking System to track every pregnant woman and child to ensure full ante-natal care and immunisation had been initiated.

Improving healthcare

Mr. Azad felt there was need to increase the public sector expenditure during the 12th Plan to further improve the healthcare scenario in this country and also start the Urban Health Mission. “Increased public sector spending will help to mitigate the problems faced by the poor, who often have to bear high out of pocket expenses on account of hospitalisation and purchase of drugs, due to non-availability of public healthcare services,” he said.

MPs push for degree course on rural healthcare

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