Parliamentary standing panel on health concerned over poor condition of roads

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 5

The parliamentary standing committee on health, which inspected the health and medical facilities in Uttarakhand on Thursday, expressed dismay at the poor condition of roads saying that it was one of the reasons for the state’s dismal track record in providing timely antinatal care (ANC) to the patients.

The members took the government to task on the poor condition of roads saying that only through good roads can health services be accessed. This would in turn lead to improved neo-natal mortality figures. Significantly, in Uttarakhand the number of deaths of infants less than one year of age per thousand live births has risen from 34 in 2015 to 38 in 2016.

Dr Manoj Rajoria, MP from Rajasthan, cited a study done by the IIM in which it was stressed that good road connectivity was also responsible for improved health status of the people. Dr Santanu Sen TMC, MP, asked the officials from the health department about the steps being taken by them to reduce neo-natal deaths and termed the situation alarming. 

The members also were dissatisfied with the steps taken by the Department of Health to plug deficiencies in the availability of medical experts. “You have stated that a majority of the population suffers from life style diseases. How will you treat these patients and provide them tertiary care if you do not have specialists and super specialists,” asked a member.

Concern was also raised about the slow pace in putting up proposals under the National Health Mission (NHM) which is funded by the Central government.

The team members also suggested that the problem of shortage of manpower could be addressed by offering option of serving in the home district to the medicos.

Dissatisfied with the replies offered by the Uttarakhand government officials the committee chairman Prof Ram Gopal Yadav said that they should submit their replies within seven days to the standing committee.