The President’s address to both the houses of Parliament has given roadmap for next hundred days for the Union Government. On the Health sector, the President promised consolidation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), setting up a National Council for Human Resources in Health as an overarching regulatory body and revival of vaccine producing institutes in the public sector.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has chalked out medium term and long term policy prescriptions to fulfill the promises made by the government.
National Rural Health Mission
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has started showing very good results. Janani Suraksha Yojana has succeeded in bringing pregnant mothers in large numbers to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) for institutional deliveries. This has resulted in reduction of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from 301 per 100,000 live births in 2001-03 period to 254 in 2004-06 period. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has been brought down from 58 per 1000 live births in 2005 to 55 per 1000 live births in 2007. There is also significant increase in attendance of out-patients and in-patient cases in PHCs, CHCs, availability of drugs, diagnostics and Doctors .
While the benefits of the National Rural Health Mission have reached the common man to a great extent, yet the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has come to the conclusion that much more needs to be done particularly for remote and far off areas of the country. Therefore, in the next three months, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in consultation with state governments, will identify, difficult, most difficult and inaccessible areas, particularly in hilly states, North Eastern States and tribal areas in other states. After having identified these areas, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare shall help these state governments in filling up the deficiencies in the strength of doctors and paramedical staff. The Ministry, through NRHM, shall make funds available for contractual appointments and provide significantly higher monetary incentives based on location of posting. These incentives will encourage the medical personnel to brave the difficult conditions in such remote locations and encourage them to serve the poor and needy people at the cutting edge level. In inaccessible and remote locations, efforts will also be made to train health personnel to assist in safe home deliveries and greater attention will be paid to ‘home based new born care’ in such locations.
Monitoring Mechanism
A web-based Health Management Information System (HMIS) will be fully operationalised by 31st July 2009 to enable District specific reporting of progress in NRHM on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. This will enable timely monitoring of physical and financial progress more effectively.
Health Manpower Policy
One of the major bottlenecks in our efforts to improve the public health care system is the overwhelming shortage of Specialist Doctors and Para medical personnel across the country. While Government is taking action to expedite the setting up of 8 AIIMS like institutions and upgrade 19 State medical institutions across the country, this alone will not fully meet the shortage of human resources in health sector. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will therefore, formulate a comprehensive medium and long term policy within the next three months for meeting the deficiencies of human resources in health sector. This would also include the initiation of setting up of a National Council for Human Resources in Health as an over-arching regulatory body as announced by the Hon’ble President of India in the Parliament in the 100 days’ Programme of our Government.
Within the next three months, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare would also formulate a scheme for strengthening and upgradation of State Government Medical Colleges to increase Post Graduate medical seats in departments where there are critical shortages such as Gynaecology, Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, etc.
Revival of Vaccine institutes
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is committed to revive the vaccine manufacturing units under Public Sector. An oversight committee has already prepared a roadmap for revamping of the vaccine manufacturing facility at CRI, Kasauli. Project reports are being prepared for revival of BCG, Guindy and PII, Coonoor.
Other important initiatives
A bill to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act(1940) would be prepared for creation of the Central Drug Authority, an autonomous body to regulate drugs and pharmaceutical products. The objective of this Act is to ensure that all regulatory norms like Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs), and Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) are enforced in uniform manner throughout the country. The bill would also provide separate provisions/chapters in the Act to regulate medical devices, clinical trials and exports. This would further ensure that high quality drugs are within the reach of Indian population at affordable prices and would also ensure freer movement of Indian pharmaceutical products in international trade and commerce.
There has been an increasing perception that the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 (THOA) has not been effective in curbing commercial transactions in organ transplants and has, at the same time thwarted genuine cases due to the complicated and long drawn process involving organ donation. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will initiate a proposal to introduce a Bill in Parliament to comprehensively amend the THOA to make the process of organ transplantation less cumbersome for genuine cases and also network all transplantation centres for better coordination and utilization of harvested organs.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has chalked out medium term and long term policy prescriptions to fulfill the promises made by the government.
National Rural Health Mission
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has started showing very good results. Janani Suraksha Yojana has succeeded in bringing pregnant mothers in large numbers to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) for institutional deliveries. This has resulted in reduction of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from 301 per 100,000 live births in 2001-03 period to 254 in 2004-06 period. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has been brought down from 58 per 1000 live births in 2005 to 55 per 1000 live births in 2007. There is also significant increase in attendance of out-patients and in-patient cases in PHCs, CHCs, availability of drugs, diagnostics and Doctors .
While the benefits of the National Rural Health Mission have reached the common man to a great extent, yet the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has come to the conclusion that much more needs to be done particularly for remote and far off areas of the country. Therefore, in the next three months, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in consultation with state governments, will identify, difficult, most difficult and inaccessible areas, particularly in hilly states, North Eastern States and tribal areas in other states. After having identified these areas, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare shall help these state governments in filling up the deficiencies in the strength of doctors and paramedical staff. The Ministry, through NRHM, shall make funds available for contractual appointments and provide significantly higher monetary incentives based on location of posting. These incentives will encourage the medical personnel to brave the difficult conditions in such remote locations and encourage them to serve the poor and needy people at the cutting edge level. In inaccessible and remote locations, efforts will also be made to train health personnel to assist in safe home deliveries and greater attention will be paid to ‘home based new born care’ in such locations.
Monitoring Mechanism
A web-based Health Management Information System (HMIS) will be fully operationalised by 31st July 2009 to enable District specific reporting of progress in NRHM on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. This will enable timely monitoring of physical and financial progress more effectively.
Health Manpower Policy
One of the major bottlenecks in our efforts to improve the public health care system is the overwhelming shortage of Specialist Doctors and Para medical personnel across the country. While Government is taking action to expedite the setting up of 8 AIIMS like institutions and upgrade 19 State medical institutions across the country, this alone will not fully meet the shortage of human resources in health sector. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will therefore, formulate a comprehensive medium and long term policy within the next three months for meeting the deficiencies of human resources in health sector. This would also include the initiation of setting up of a National Council for Human Resources in Health as an over-arching regulatory body as announced by the Hon’ble President of India in the Parliament in the 100 days’ Programme of our Government.
Within the next three months, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare would also formulate a scheme for strengthening and upgradation of State Government Medical Colleges to increase Post Graduate medical seats in departments where there are critical shortages such as Gynaecology, Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, etc.
Revival of Vaccine institutes
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is committed to revive the vaccine manufacturing units under Public Sector. An oversight committee has already prepared a roadmap for revamping of the vaccine manufacturing facility at CRI, Kasauli. Project reports are being prepared for revival of BCG, Guindy and PII, Coonoor.
Other important initiatives
A bill to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act(1940) would be prepared for creation of the Central Drug Authority, an autonomous body to regulate drugs and pharmaceutical products. The objective of this Act is to ensure that all regulatory norms like Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs), and Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) are enforced in uniform manner throughout the country. The bill would also provide separate provisions/chapters in the Act to regulate medical devices, clinical trials and exports. This would further ensure that high quality drugs are within the reach of Indian population at affordable prices and would also ensure freer movement of Indian pharmaceutical products in international trade and commerce.
There has been an increasing perception that the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 (THOA) has not been effective in curbing commercial transactions in organ transplants and has, at the same time thwarted genuine cases due to the complicated and long drawn process involving organ donation. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will initiate a proposal to introduce a Bill in Parliament to comprehensively amend the THOA to make the process of organ transplantation less cumbersome for genuine cases and also network all transplantation centres for better coordination and utilization of harvested organs.
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