CHENNAI/VELLORE: One year since the first Covid-19 case was reported in the State (March 7, 2020), the pandemic has given government and politicians much to ponder over improving the health care system and why it must dominate the political narrative ahead of the Assembly elections on April 6.
As political parties have begun releasing their election manifestos, public health experts and frontline doctors say that upgradation of infrastructure, recruitment of more health care staff, strengthening of district and village-level public health care institutions and implementation of some of the government orders (G.O.) have been put on the back-burner.
Dr K Senthil, President of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, said that the priority must be to raise budgetary allocation for health to 12 per cent from about 7 per cent at present. “That will ensure that the infrastructure needs as well as the needs of the health care staff are met. A preventive wing must be established in the primary health centres to attend new-age diseases,” he said.
Senthil also wanted the super-speciality departments to be improved and the the number of posts to be doubled from the present 700 to 1,400. “We need more doctors in super-speciality,” he said. On condition of anonymity, a renowned public health expert, who was part of Directorate of Public Health for almost four decades, said that an exclusive laboratory must be set up in block-level to diagnose new-age diseases and infections.
“The number of village health nurses must go up. Health inspectors must be increased from one to five. Courses to train people on bedside care must be introduced as 11 per cent of the population is above 60 years of age, and many have comorbid conditions,” he said. The ex-health department staff said, at present, there are only two nurses for 10 beds in maternity care, and most of them work overtime.
“The strength of nurses must be doubled,” he said. He also emphasized that all the districts must have medical college hospitals with an infectious diseases wing, offering a PG course in infectious diseases. The expert added that speciality care in maternity, paediatrics and geriatrics must be available in all the district hospitals, and people should not be forced to visit metro cities for such care.
Doctors in the State have sought the implementation of G.O. 354, which gives a pay-hike for doctors after completing the slabs of 5, 9, 11, and 12 years in service, instead of the present 8, 15, 17, and 20 years. Dr S Perumal Pillai, President of Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors, said that, for a population of seven crore, there are approximately 18,000 doctors, which is not adequate.
Electioneering & the looming threat
Though swelling crowds are a common sight at political meetings and rallies during elections, this season has turned scary due to Covid-19 pandemic. Politicians and cadre throwing the warnings and precautions to the wind has triggered a fear among health activists that overcrowding during electioneering will lead to a fresh Covid outbreak.
Despite the Election Commission of India issuing guidelines on enforcement of the norms, it has become a herculean task for the authorities to make things fall in line. Noted virologist T Jacob John told Express that a targeted vaccination campaign in the poll-bound States would will help avert the spread of the virus. Advising that enough doses of vaccine should be diverted to these States, he said that the government should take a policy decision in this regard.