NGO launches project to sensitize rural people about welfare schemes

FROM A CORRESPOPNDENT

SILCHAR, May 1: Since the introduction of NRHM in 2005, the health scerio in Cachar district had witnessed a noticeable upswing. Presently, the health services have reached every nook and corner of the district with only a few exceptions.

According to the report released by NRHM a number of new interventions in the form of evening Outdoor Patient Department (OPD), Mobile Medical Unit (MMU), formation of Village Health and Sanitation Committees (VHSC) in almost each villages, Public Private Partnership (PPP) with charitable hospital, tea garden hospitals and EMRI, 24x7 delivery facility with child care unit etc. have been taken up to strengthen the existing health care services.

However from the baseline survey it have been found out that in spite of such progress in health scerio lack of awareness have been proved to be one of the major hindrance which have worked as speed breaker in the path of progress with regards to accessibility of health services.

Most of the villagers residing in the interiors of the district are still uware regarding the various health benefits provided by the Central or State government under various schemes like Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Jani Sishu Suraksha Yoja(JSSK) etc.

This lack of awareness regarding health schemes and other benefits has ultimately pushed them to opt for traditiol and unscientific methods of treatment resulting in the loss of lives of many.

Moreover the survey also reflected the fact that taking the advantage of the poor economic condition, illiteracy, and social distortion many a times the authorities involved in the implementation process of the various government schemes soak out the benefits of the poor rural people. What makes the situation more pathetic is that in spite of continuous complaints and grievances being made by the local tive villagers the concerned higher authorities have been turning a deaf years to them.

Thus strong efforts must be made in order to create awareness amongst people residing in the remote area about the various facilities provided by the government so as to ensure that the people could get the utmost profit from these programmes.

For the said purpose number of awareness creating tools and strategies have been adopted by the State Government and other Civil Society Organizations. As a part of the same quarterly newsletter is being published from the District Health Society which disperses updated information on the various schemes. The ANM, AWW and ASHAs are also identified as necessary channel to fulfill the gap and sensitize the grass root level on monthly health days in every village

Moreover in order to sensitize the people and make them socially aware local cable network and radios are also taken into account for the publicity as print media could hit only the educated section of the society missing out the uneducated ones. Moreover at present, all the Health Institutions are also equipped with Citizen Charter, which provides information about what services are available in the hospital, how the patient can avail the service, and how the complaints regarding services will be addressed.

The government health outreach programmes and schemes, in the opinion of the NRHM workers has brought about a visible change in the overall reproductive health scerio of the entire district, including the study area. However, the general health initiatives still requires more efforts.

To fill these gap and make balance the situation ACTED under the aegis of European Union (EU) and with active implementation of NEICORD, NTF and PAC is working in the project of improving access to information and delivery of public schemes in the seven backward districts of North East India including Cachar in Assam.

The project aims in dissemiting corrected and updated information and creating mass awareness amongst the poor people of the remote isolated villages of this backward districts regarding 10 government sponsored schemes including ICDS and JSSK, said Raju Teron the AMEU Mager from ACTED.

Teron also said that the project will closely work with the service providers as well as the community, including various Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) and existing NGO’s for further strengthening and improving the service delivery of the schemes in these backward districts.