Deteriorating health services in Uttarakhand

If the health of the countrymen or the citizens of any state would be satisfactory or good the country or the state is bound to progress.

But this is unfortunately not the case in Uttarakhand, even after nineteen years of its gaining a separate constitutional identity.

The state’s health sector is in total jeopardy due to the adhoc policies of the vision less politicians and bureaucrats of successive governments and the one led by BJP ruling the state with a historic majority at present.

The entire blame for the deteriorating health services of the state goes to the bureaucracy as well as the politicians at the helm whose adhocism and ignorant atitude towards not formulating a perfect health policy is responsible for the present mess.

There is no zeal, enthusiasm or seriousness to improve the health sector despite the hard fact that the media have been highlighting the lapses time and again.

The system is so volatile and apathetic that instead of devising some credible, concrete and pro people solution to the impending health grievances of the state the bureaucrats and politicians at the helm are more convenient in running a ” Kaam Chalaao” adhoc health system in the state thus resulting in hundreds of deaths of children, women and senior citizens in particular due to non availability of timely and adequate health support and medical assistence including the essential services of 108.

The conditions of the primary health centres, block n district hospitals, though getting enough budget is in total jeopardy.

There is dearth of doctors and para medics in hospitals with no administrative control over them. The doctors deny going and serving in interior hospitals. Not only this but the doctors and interns are absent from duties running their own private clinics to mint huge profits.

The medicines are not available in hospitals compelling the poor patients of villages and towns to purchase expensive medicines from private chemists who are allegedly in league with the doctors and other staff of government hospitals .

The xray machines, ultrasound machines and ICUs’ are in non functioning condition.

The patients who turn in hospital for treatment die of carelessness of the doctors n paramedic staff and non availability of adequate and timely treatment.

The treatment for cardiology and other critical illnesses like nuero, nepherology and oncological deseases in unavailable as a result, majority of the patients either die or are compelled to go to private hospitals thus constrained to pay exorbitant fees for treatment not beyond their reach to pay.

Apart from these grievances after the change of contracts of 108 ambulance services about 1700 ex  employees of this department who’d been thrown out of jobs by the new management are striking for reimbursement of their salaries and reinstatement in jobs.

In addition to this, majority of the 108 ambulance service vehicles and vehicles of ” Khushiyon ki sawari” engaged in safely ferrying the new born baby and his or her mother to her house after delivery are also stagnated at one place in large numbers rather than their being mobile or pressed into service.

The non availability of 108 ambulance services in adequate numbers and the services of “Khushiyon ki sawaari” ( the jubilant ride,  vehicles after the change of management, though for the good, has resulted in immense inconvenience to the new born infants and their mothers.

Conclusively, the condition of the health sector in Uttarakhand is in doldrums. The patients of critical illnesses, accidents and various other deseases are the worst sufferers in view of dearth of doctors, senior surgeons, non availability of advanced and basic medical equipments and machines, medicines, compounded with complete absense of regulation from the top.

Uttarakhand is now 19 years old and there have been no or negligible improvement in the health sector of this himalayan state resulting in enhanced migration from villages to plains.

People believing in reverse migration after retirement are apprehensive of their health insecurity in view of deteriorating or non availability of adequate health avenues inside the hills.

Time has arrived when our government should formulate a credible policy to improvise and modernise the entire health sector of Uttarakhand to decrease the mortality rate and come true to the expectations of its electorates who’d voted it to power with a historic majority. What’s your take friends?