Sanjeevani-104 services introduced in Cachar

Special Correspondent

Silchar,  Dec 20:  tiol Health Mission (NHM) Assam has spearheaded the formation of a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam and Piramal Swasthya (PSMRI-104) to reach out to the urban and rural population of Assam and ensure health for all. PSMRI is a non-profit organization that leverages state-of-the-art technology and information and communication tools to significantly augment healthcare delivery and deliver high-quality low-cost physical and virtual healthcare services to the rural poor. Through technology-ebled programming PSMRI has been able to address rural India's supply-demand gap in healthcare, augment and complement existing public health systems, and create a digital health platform that fosters patient tracking and monitoring through the execution of Sanjeevani services.

 The sole objective of Sanjeevani services under NHM is to reach out to over 4.10 lakh of population of Cachar through an innovative once-a-month Village Health Outreach Program (VHOP). It is being executed through a fleet of Medical Health Units (MHUs). VHOP is a key component in the gamut of services planned by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, government of Assam and NRHM to provide healthcare access to the underserved and remote rural areas in the state.

 Sanjeevani-104 services in Cachar currently reach out to around 244 villages every month through the Village Health Outreach Program. There are 5 Sanjeevani MHU Team that goes out each and every day to the remotest of the villages in Cachar which are generally not served in any way whatsoever. In these vans, there are trained paramedic staffs (R and MO, ANM, laboratory technician, pharmacist and pilot) who set up medical camps in various places in the villages where they screen and identify chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.

 They have already covered 8 BPHC and 125 sub-centres. From April 2011 to November 2016, they have already checked 325963 beneficiaries in total, on an average of around 3750 beneficiaries per month with near about 733 ANC patients per month, where 73% are of aemic status.

As MMR and IMR rate is higher side in Assam, they give special attention to high risk pregncy case and linked up them with ASHA and Anganwadi Worker and refer to nearest PHCs.

 Screening has been done in more than 6699 confirm diabetes cases in Cachar and almost 65000 blood RBS test in different remote areas of Cachar have been done specially in tea garden Areas. MHU primarily focuses on chronic diseases, materl and child health and minor ailments by providing screening and referrals, patient education, medication, monitoring and follow up and electronic health records. This has been state at a press release by Abhijit Bhattacharjee, district mager, Cachar, Sanjeevani-104. It has been also requested to the people of Cachar district to make maximum use of Sanjeevani-104 MMU services wherever they hold their service camp every month and call Sarathi-104 for any medical related advice and help. Recently with CO's support PSMRI has started Helpline No. 1097 for HIV /AIDs related issues.