Moa Jamir
Dimapur | October 4
Is the Health Department in Nagaland concealing its poor status in their reports? Most probably, if one goes by disclosures made at a recent media sensitization workshop. Dr Bamin Tada, Director, Regional Resource Centre for North Eastern States (RRC-NE), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India disclosed this during a “Media Sensitization Workshop for Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) for North Easten States of India,” on September 23.
Officials tend to conceal the poor status of the state of the health sector, Tada said citing the example of a high profile review meetings in Nagaland.
“The district reports prepared by respective Chief Medical Offices had shown 100% immunization coverage as well as astonishing improvement from the previous status,” he added. There was even 120% improvement, while most districts projected 70-80% coverage. The data was shocking because the independent National Family Health Survey (NFHS) -4 had highlighted that Nagaland has the lowest percentage of children immunization at 35.6% among the North East States (NES).
The percentage for other participating NES at the workshop was: Arunachal Pradesh 38.2%, Mizoram- 50.5%, Tripura-54.5%, Meghalaya-61.5%, Manipur-65.9% and Sikkim-83%.
Baffled with the presentation, there was a closer examination at the review meeting, the director informed.
“On close scrutiny, it was found that the data on immunization coverage presented was a copied version of a single district that fared well,” he added.
Are we giving justice to the people by simply copying each other? Tada posed at the gathering of Media personnel, State Health & Public Relations Department officials from NES and UNICEF.
Who are the health officials trying to protect, the children or themselves? It is the children, the future citizens of the state who are suffering as a result of the ‘good figure,’ he pointed out. Show sincerity, manipulating and changing few figures won’t work, he bluntly suggested. Not surprisingly, for the launching of Intensified Mission Indradhanush by the Government of India from October 7, out of a targeted 118 districts in 16 high priority states, all the districts in Nagaland are included due to their low coverage.
Other concerns and suggestions
Besides the concern over data presentation, the workshop also highlighted the lack of enhanced political and administrative commitments and seriousness to implement health programmes in a transparent manner in most states.
As a result, the states are not able to translate policy into action, Tada further noted. No strong directive from the centre and missing convergence between National Rural Health Mission (NHM) and state health department also leads to loss of focus. Inter-departmental coordination, especially in Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), was also found lacking.
The Director further said that committed people are needed to do micro-planning of the various programs. “State Program Implementation Plans (PIPs) should start from the requirement of the districts. It should not be dictated by political bosses but on priority basis,” he stressed. Due to lack of proper preparation, PIP keeps rotating and there are also many instances of state government taking the fund money into state exchequer, he added. On state-specific needs, media persons from Nagaland pointed out how information and awareness gap can be rectified if the state health departments are more proactive in responding to health issues.
They also suggested for the appointment of authorized nodal officers within the department to consult on specific health issues and their presence on various social media platforms. Issuing of pamphlets and spots in local languages in various mediums were also suggested.
To that end, a Health Department representative said that it will take the suggestion into consideration, especially for the nodal officers.
The representatives also informed that the department will be shortly organising a programme to take up the issues raised at the workshop forward.
In May 2017, the department had identified the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, Nagaland Christian Revival Church and Catholic Association, Nagaland as partners to work towards its ongoing efforts to increase the demand for vaccination and immunization.
