Himanta Bishwa Sharma's Herculean Tasks

Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma visiting Nagaon Civil Hospital

 

Whatever had been the distribution of the portfolio in the hatric Congress government, the fact that Dr. Himanta Bishwa Sharma, was given the education including health portfolio, was enough for the general people to be happy, first to see some more progress in the health department and expecting the same in the Education department which is considered being one of the worst department in the state. After the new portfolio as education minister, perhaps the education department officials had made their minds to face the music of the minister but were little casual too. Thus the minister’s sudden visit to the DPI office at Kahilipara had come as a big surprise to the ever casual and lazy workers there. Whatever may be the following outcome in the near future, the curtain raiser was enough for the department to take the message of the minister seriously and show some professional attitude towards their work. Things are not expected to change overnight, yet a sight of relief and hope.

Next came the convening of a meeting of principals of those schools that has Zero Percent results. A step perhaps not many could have ever thought in their minds. The results of these schools were long, some 160 schools from all over Assam figured in the list of zero percent success, some consecutively three years some two. The meeting was on 23rd June, Saturday and following the Assam Bandh Called by the Krisak Mukti Sangram Samity in protest of Akhil Gogoi, s arrest, around 60 school heads could come to the meeting. It was not an easy ambience for the teachers to face the music of the new education minister; however they were lucky to escape with warning. So from next time the teachers have to show positive results or their SEBA recognition gets cancelled. The teachers had funny answers to the questions put by the minister while asking them to show their difficulties. Himanta Bishwa Sharma did cracked jokes while sending a strong message to the particular teacher community and perhaps the teachers could also gauge the intensity of the new education minister, for most of them it was their first bad experience in their life. But back home they might have thanked God for nothing had gone wrong except a good warning to change their attitude towards education.

Coming back to the health department, the health minister at a press conference today said that irregular and irresponsible doctors will be shown the door while the good will be rewarded. The minister has divided the doctors of various health institutions in the districts in five categories, Viz. first; Doctors staying in HQ and regularly attending duty, second; Doctors who do not stay in HQ but regularly attending duty, third; Doctors who do not stay in HQ and reports late for duty, fourth; Doctors who occasionally comes to duty and fifth; Doctors who do attend duty at all. The doctors of the fourth and fifth category will be advised for VRS and CRS and to fill the gap their will be new recruitment. An average attendance will be calculated from the last two years and thereafter things will be decided. On this regards the DC, s have already been instructed and official letters have been dispatched. This is perhaps a step not may Doctors would welcome, but every patient and public will welcome.

Not the least the new education minister has also taken note of government teachers taking into active politics and journalism profession. So another concern to clear the ground for building a good education environment in the state. Things have been brought into the notice, letters to be sent to the president of Political parties and Editors to consider the situation and for creating a better education environment. Time will say how things will work in the near future. But the minister is trying to break some jinx that has been long associated with the system and thus hampering the public by and large. Hope these new steps would be for the betterment of the people than benefiting any political party or a person. After all some one has shown the right way as what a minister can really do if he wishes to do. Hope others will follow in the right spirit and not just to imitate someone. With high expectations that the minister will keep his words.

Nexus ails Assam healthcare

Study reveals doctor-medicine company ties, under-utilisation of govt schemes.

An unholy nexus between various healthcare providers, including doctors and private hospitals, has become a stumbling block in delivering benefits to the people at a time when Dispur is pumping in huge funds to bring improvement in the health sector.

This was revealed in a multiple-stage survey conducted by Consumer Unity & Trust Society International, a reputed NGO.The survey has found that the government’s various welfare schemes like providing free medicines and equipping the public hospitals with hi-tech machinery to conduct investigations at affordable rates have not proved beneficial for the poor and needy because of “collusive behaviour” of the healthcare providers. 

The survey even found that doctors were taking costly gifts like cars and air-conditioners from medicine companies and medical representatives to prescribe costly medicines for patients. The NGO conducted its survey last year and compiled the results recently. The subject of the survey was Collusive Behaviour in Healthcare and Impact on Consumers: Evidence from Assam.

The survey, was conducted in its first stage by gathering information from 301 consumers visiting public healthcare institutions in Guwahati, Bongaigaon and Nagaon.One of the important findings of the first stage survey was non-availability of adequate medicines at public healthcare institutions, including Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, forcing the poor and low-income group patients to purchase medicines from private sources. 

It was found that frequency of referral for diagnostic tests was very high as it was encountered by 90 per cent respondents. The fact that only a third of these diagnostic tests ever revealed a serious illness bears testament that on most occasions these tests might not have been necessary. During the survey, interaction with the diagnostic clinics and pathological labs revealed that there was a usual practice of paying commissions to doctors for referrals. 

The second stage survey was conducted among 210 respondents who visited the GMCH, the Bhogeswari Phukannani civil hospital in Nagaon, the Nagaon urban health centre and the Bongaigaon civil hospital and primary health centre.The survey has found that the prescriptions were costlier in those hospitals where medicines were brought from outside by respondents. Doctors were found to prescribe many “irrational” drugs. 

A significant percentage of drugs purchased from private sources were shown available in the stock list of medicines of the hospitals.The survey found that high percentage of medicines from the State List of Essential Medicines were also absent in the hospitals.Of the medicines that were absent in the hospital stock list, some had substitutes that were available in the hospital but were not prescribed. According to the survey report, such trend clearly shows a nexus among some doctors, hospitals staff and private pharmacies.

The survey found a high percentage of incomplete diagnosis. About 90 pr cent of the respondents’ prescriptions did not have any evidence of signs and symptoms or preliminary diagnosis of the disease. The absence of such written record of ailment is a fundamental flaw of medical investigation.

The third stage of survey was conducted by holding discussions with medical representatives. 

The NGO mentioned that the names of the towns where discussions took place have not been mentioned intentionally.Interacting with the medical representatives, the survey found various kinds of “unethical” practices being resorted by a section of doctors to promote products of medicine companies. It was found that the medicine companies give cars, air-conditioners and equated monthly instalments for home appliances, cars and life insurance premiums to some doctors to get their medicines prescribed to large number of patients. 

The director of Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Indranee Dutta, who provided some information to the NGO during the survey, said such collusive behaviour among the healthcare providers has defeated the government’s very objective of making healthcare accessible and affordable for all. She said it was high time the government broke such nexus with healthcare becoming a right of the people.