Anil Vij, Health Minister, Haryana, who is not known to mince his words, in a candid interview with Prathiba Raju, speaks on the healthcare status of the state explaining how he focusses to provide preventive, promotive and curative care to the state
What are the key policy decisions taken so far to enhance the public health?
My prime focus is to provide preventive, promotive and curative care to the people of Haryana via upgraded public health system. I have always emphasised that the work culture of the government hospitals, should be patient-friendly. This move has shown us significant changes and it has helped us to increase our OPD to 12 per cent and IPD to 20 per cent, in the last one year.
Hospital infrastructure has also been our focus. We are trying to upgrade at least 57 government hospitals and also trying to get NABH accreditation for hospitals. 20 hospitals are already accredited in areas like Panchkula, Faridabad. We want the grass-root level population to access high-quality diagnostic and imaging facilities. Thus, in each District Hospital (DH), we are trying to provide MRI and CT scan services, with 10 DHs already implementing it, while rest of the DHs will be covered. Apart from it, the dialysis centres are also set up in all the 22 DHs, out of which six DH hospitals already have the dialysis centres, the rest will come up in a phased manner.
We are coming up with four CATH labs in Ambala, Panchkula, Faridabad and Gurgaon for the benefit of heart patients. These labs will carry out cardiac stent operation which would cost Rs 46,000. Already, Ambala districts’ CATH lab have started treating patients and soon the facility will be provided to other three district and later throughout the state.
In digitisation front, the state’s 57 public hospitals, 20 district hospitals and three medical colleges will be linked via State Wide Area Network (SWAN). Once this is implemented, it will facilitate the patients in getting treatment in any hospital of the state without carrying any documents. Patients would be provided Unique ID number and an Electronic Health Record (EHR) would be maintained so that the medical history of the patient can be accessed anytime.
What are the efforts taken to improve the MMR/IMR, particularly the maternal and child health? Can you give us details on the seven high priority districts for improving the infant and maternal mortality rate in the state?
Yes, there is anaemia problem, especially in Mewat district and we are regularly giving iron tablets to the adolescent girls there. In every Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), we identify the severely anaemic pregnant women and give them iron sucrose injection. Apart from it, we are trying to improve the maternal and child health. The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) have improved in the state.
When we came to power, IMR was 42 — higher than the average of the country. However, today, it has dropped to 36. The state has already achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reduction in MMR to less than 139 by 2015. We are further taking steps to reduce the MMR by working towards establishing High Risk Pregnancy (HRP) policy, upgradation of labour rooms which includes infection prevention practices, availability of essential drugs, equipment and consumables, operationalisation of First Referral Units (FRU) and implementation of ‘Zero Home Delivery Campaign’. As far as child health is concerned, a Special New Born Care Units (SNCUs) provides quality services. The state is adjudged as number one in the country by the central government based on the seven parameters listed in SNCU quality of care composite index (SQCI).
The doctor patient ratio in the state is 1: 1700, how are you trying to fill the gaps, the strategy used to increase the doctors and patients ratio?
Efforts are taken to fill the gap of doctor-patient ratio in the state. Since we came to power, we have appointed 946 doctors. We are trying to bridge the gap. As a step towards it, we have planned to appoint an MBBS doctor, a dentist and a BAMS doctor in every PHC. First, we will be appointing Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) doctors, as they don’t hesitate to work in remote areas. We are giving special incentives for the doctors and specialists who are willing to work in districts like Mewat and Morni. As per the WHO guideline, 1: 1000 is the ratio we want to achieve it and hence, are working towards it.
Out of 10, how much would you rate Haryana for its health performance? Why do patients from Haryana and the NCR areas prefer Delhi AIIMS and other public hospitals in the national capital?
I would give eight marks out of 10 for Haryana’s performance in health. The reason behind it is that we have taken good, progressive health initiatives and the footfall of patients to public hospitals has increased exponentially. People of Haryana going to Delhi seeking healthcare will decrease gradually. Earlier, equipment and facilities like MRI, CT scan, dialysis centres were not available, so the doctors were referring them to Delhi. But, now these facilities are set up and they are available right from the DH level. So, the number of patients visiting any government hospitals in Delhi AIIMS or other hospitals in the national capital will definitely drop.
Haryana reportedly has a major share of cancer cases. The state had registered 16,180 cases of cancer last year, as per the information tabled in Haryana Assembly. What are the steps taken to combat the increasing cancer cases in and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs )in the state?
It is not just cancer, but we are trying to detect the other NCDs cases in the state by conducting screening tests door-to door. A total of 40 tests will be done, the programme will be implemented by state authorities and ASHAs (accredited social health activists) and ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwife). Mini testing machines and equipment will be carried to doorsteps, so the test can be conducted, or health camps, will be conducted for collecting samples. It is part of the ‘Prevention, Screening and Control of Common Non-Communicable Diseases’ part of the flagship National Health Mission (NHM).