Maharashtra: NGOs, activists set up committees in 11 districts to assess healthcare services

The initiative, called 'Jan Aarogya Abhiyan', started a special statewide campaign from August 16

Several NGOs and individuals working for public healthcare in Maharashtra have come together to set up committees in 11 districts to assess the current condition of state-run facilities, availability of medicines and staff strength, an initiative coming in the wake of the second Covid-19 wave that put a strain on health infrastructure.

The initiative, called 'Jan Aarogya Abhiyan', started a special statewide campaign from August 16.

“We have set up committees of NGOs and activists from the healthcare sector which will collect data about state infrastructure, its status, availability of medicines and whether the staff is qualified and appointed as per requirements. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the healthcare sector, which has been neglected for decades,” said Vinod Shende, a healthcare and nutrition activist from Pune, who is part of the project.

Shende is one of the members of the Abhiyan who is working on compiling healthcare data from these districts.

The campaign is aimed at improving healthcare services.

“The Clinical Establishment Bill, which is pending for over 15 years, can empower state government officials to take strict action against malpractices of private hospitals such as over-charging, forcing patients to undergo unnecessary tests and unethical practices. We want to mobilise people and mount pressure on the state to pass the legislation,” he said.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has taught important lessons about the importance of primary health centres and how they can be put to effective use and work as a tool to educate people during unprecedented situations,” Shende said.

The campaign has also sought feedback from state-run hospitals, which are most of the time short of equipment, medicines and trained staff to treat patients, said Ravi Desai, a member of the campaign from Kolhapur.

The movement is planning to come up with its findings in mid-September.

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