6 Things To Know About Chhattisgarh’s Healthcare Camps

Chhattisgarh is a relatively young state, that was formed just 18 years ago in 2000. The state and its people have had to face numerous challenges – civil strife due to Naxal activity, economic disparity between urban-rural areas and inaccessibility to healthcare. Healthcare had been a neglected field in this area before Chhattisgarh became an independent state. However, the authorities have worked hard to change that and almost 5.75% of the state budget is now spent on healthcare.

The difference this has made is clear as day. Infant mortality has been reduced from 70 per 1000 in 2003 to 41 per 1000 live births in 2018. The number of Primary Health Care centres have increased from 513 to 793, and Secondary Healthcare Facilities from 3818 to 5186. The percentage of women giving birth in hospitals has increased to 74% as of 2018, much higher than the abysmal 28% in 2003.

In spite of these changes, the major problem of providing quality healthcare to people in remote and far-flung areas remains. To tackle this, the state government has started organising health camps at the grass roots level i.e. villages in various districts. In a way, the authorities are taking the healthcare services to the needy who cannot access them. The main goal of this undertaking is to provide free and high standard healthcare services to people in inaccessible areas that don’t have proper facilities available to them nearby.

Here are a few things to know about this innovative initiative –

 

  1. Number of camps

District authorities confirm that a minimum of one such camp is setup every fortnight. The camps are scheduled according to the District Programme Management Unit under the orders of the Chief Medical and Health Officer. They are planned such that they occur at the same time as the weekly markets called ‘Hawaat Bazaars’. This is done so that maximum people can be reached at once.

 

  1. Services provided

These health camps are equipped with all the required screening equipments. Health check-ups, tests and procedures are all free for the public. When a patient comes in, they are examined by the Medical Officer or the Assistant Medical Officer. The doctor notes down the complaint and after examination prescribes medicines. Each patient’s information and medical history is thoroughly recorded in the registration-cum-prescription form as well as in the screening form.

The patients that are referred to a specialist are given a health referral form with details about when they should visit the district hospital for further diagnosis. Others who are not referred to a specialist are given their medicines on the spot according to the prescription.
 

  1. Swasthya Seva Raths

Also known as Mobile Medical Units (MMUs), these Swasthya Seva Raths are deployed in places that are inhabited by marginalised communities such as PVTGs (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) or in remote areas with high maternal-infant mortality and other morbidity ratios.

These are financed by the Sansad Nidhi Fund and Baiga Vikas Pradhikaran. Every MMU consists of a Medical Officer, Staff Nurse, Lab Technician, Pharmacist and Support Staff. The MMUs were required because these places didn’t have proper infrastructure for doctors and nurses to live. Therefore there was no proper hospital nearby.


 

  1. Schemes

The health camps are not only used to treat patients in need. They are also being used to identify eligible individuals for government healthcare schemes such as the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) etc.


 

  1. Data collection

The data these camps collect can be used to introduce and implement other schemes at the village level. This is because people can be screened at every village in a tehsil and their information recorded. Subsequently, a roster can be formed to figure out which schemes are required and need to be implemented in the affected areas.


 

  1. Spreading Awareness

As well as treating patients directly, these camps also serve to raise awareness about diseases and hygiene in order to educate people. This leads to avoidance of diseases in the future due to increased understanding amongst the public.

To conclude, these health camps are a great initiative by the state government to provide good and cheap healthcare services to the needy. The rest of the country should surely take note and aim to copy this model in order to make healthcare easily accessible to citizens even in the most remote areas.