In observance of Women’s Day, a panel discussion was held on the success of women health programmes in India. The moderator, Viveka Roychowdhury, Editor, Express Healthcare, set the context for the discussion by pointing out how pivotal it is to give adequate focus to women’s health to reform public healthcare in India. The panel comprised Brig Smita Devrani, Principal, Matron Command Hospital, Pune; Dr Prakasamma, Director, ANSWERS, Hyderabad; Shubhalakshmi Patwardhan, Director, Niramaya Health Foundation, Mumbai; Dr Shelly Batra, Co-founder, Operation ASHA, Delhi; Alok Vajpeyi, Director Programmes, Population Foundation of India (PHFI).
Beginning the discussion by understanding the challenges faced by different health workers in the Indian healthcare system, Roychowdhury asked Devrani to share the most frustrating experiences faced during her career. In response, Devrani pointed out that the women they work for, tend to not prioritise their health, despite awareness camps and training sessions.
Adding to it, Prakasamma highlighted the challenges that include lack of recognition by the government regarding the importance of antenatal and postnatal care and the need to improve maternal care, as important part of women’s health. Severe lack of midwives in the nation is one of the major reason for lack of guidance through the crucial period of childbearing thus hampering care. She pointed out that women are the creators of future generations and protecting their health is essential to ensure continuity of the human race itself. She also spoke on the need to have trained mid-wives to ensure improved outcomes during childbirth.
Going further, Patwardhan pointed yet another challenge faced while working for the health of women in the slums of Mumbai. She says women in India are intoxicated by three major issues- service to others, which seems to be the first priority, sacrifice and self denial; which in turn make health as the last priority for women. She urged that women need to get out of the sacrificial, self-denial mode to own their health and take the right decisions.
The next panelist, Dr Batra highlighted how TB is one of the greatest threats to women’s health in India and points out that women face a lot of stigma and are often ostracised if they are infected with TB. The major challenge is that even though there is a huge TB infrastructure including hospitals, diagnostic centres along with many TB specialists, the last mile connectivity is missing. She added that even though the treatment is available, it is not accessible to the poor people. She spoke on various measures taken up by her organisation, which can help tackle TB in women. She explained that in disadvantaged areas, the organisation has opened treatment centres in temples, mosques, gurudwaras, shops ets, so that people can get access to medicines even after working hours. They have hired local people as community health workers, especially women from disadvantaged backgrounds, as they are the force to reckon with. She further elaborated how her organisation uses E-compliance which uses finger printing at temples to track, monitor and ensure compliance as well adherence to TB treatment.
Vajpeyi elaborated on educating women to help them do effective family planning. He also said that women’s health is the responsibility of men as well and they should take it up seriously. He highlighted that women must be able to access health services as well as make informed choices. He said that women should voluntarily access the contraceptive methods available in the market. Further, he elaborated how his organisation, PHFI, is working on these issues and advocating to bring it on the social and political agenda of the country. He explained that they have worked with governments as well as communities to empower them and are also advocating to expand the basket of contraceptives and increase budgetary allocation for family planning.
Post the discussion, delegates added a few valid points. One delegate highlighted that women’s health cannot be take into account in an isolated manner as only a medical problem, rather it is more of a social problem. He elaborated that education to girl child is extremely important as well as the informing the elder women of the family will aid in providing all-round wellbeing.