The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Doctors’ stir likely to affect NRHM work

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Doctors’ stir likely to affect NRHM work

Staff Reporter

Preparation of health plans could be delayed

Officials hope some doctors will turn up for work
Deadline of October 15 for full utilisation of funds

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the district health administration has been literally running after various local bodies to make them spend the National Rural Health Mission’s (NRHM) funds allotted for health activities, officials are worried that the no-cooperation strike launched by government doctors could affect the preparation of local-level health plans.

After it was found that none of the local bodies had spent last year’s funds released through the NRHM for primary health centre (PHC)-based health programmes, a team of officials from the Health Services and the NRHM had gone on an intensive fund utilisation drive in 17 major blocks in the district. With the government setting a deadline of October 15 for full utilisation of the funds, meetings were convened in all blocks to explain the guidelines for the utilisation. These meetings served to make the local bodies more aware of the guidelines, officials say.

Following the meetings, all local bodies are said to have given the promise that they would work out a plan for local health action and the statements of expenditure would be submitted before October 15.

However, the funds are transferred to a committee which has the panchayat president as the chairperson and the medical officer at the respective PHC as the convener. With the doctors declaring that they will not perform any duties related to the NRHM, the preparation of the health plans and the submission of statements of expenditure could be delayed indefinitely.

As it is, there has been much criticism that the health standing committees in various local bodies have no one with technical expertise to guide them. Instead of giving priority to local requirements, most health plans are prepared without any thought to their usefulness or sustainability.

There are many doctors in the Health Services who are doing a second shift under the NRHM, especially in Poovar and Pozhiyoor. The system of posting doctors on contract had been introduced so that care could be offered round the clock in all primary and community health centres with in-patient facilities. The option of doing a second shift was offered to the doctors in the Health Services too and many went for it as a remuneration of Rs.25,000 was being offered as an incentive.

Of the 103 doctors who have been posted under the NRHM in the district, about 40 doctors are from the Health Services. The KGMOA has declared that its members will boycott the second shift under the NRHM. But officials hope that despite the strike call, at least some doctors will continue to attend duty.

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