Adilabad district in Telangana hits rock bottom in heath indices
HYDERABAD: A fresh analysis of Telangana's health indices across two seasons of the National Family Health Survey shows that certain districts rank are ranked in the bottom for a majority of the indicators. These districts include Adilabad, Bhupalpally and Warangal Rural.
The analysis was released on Monday by the Council for Social Development which is a research initiative comparing districts against one another. They had divided the indices of NFHS into 99 sections and analysed every district's performance.
Adilabad's indices turn poor right from female sex ratio which is at 992, second worst in the State as per NFHS5. The district also ranks poorly in electrification and sanitation implying a poor level of social indicators.
Children under the age of five attending schools is at a paltry 6 per cent. In core health indicators, the district does no better, pregnant women eating folic acid tablets for 180 days during their pregnancy being at a low of 21.8 per cent.
This eventually reflects in indicators around children’s health with only 2 per cent of all children born receiving a postnatal check-up after delivery by a qualified health practitioner.
What this report further does is showcase how different health variables play out in same district. For instance, while check-ups during pregnancy are low, Adilabad has highest the institutional deliveries. This indicates that the issue is not of access to healthcare but a lack of awareness.
Provide Arogyasri services from PHC level, Harish directs officials
Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao conducted a performance review of PHCs on Tuesday. During the reviewing process, the Minister said that Arogyasri services must provided right from PHC level. He directed the concerned officials that they must enroll all beneficiaries.
He further stated that normal deliveries must be encouraged and incentives would be given to nurses and doctors for conducting normal deliveries. "The Health Department has been given 78% more funds this year as compared to the last. We must work with more vigour to serve the people of the State," he said while addressing healthcare officials.
The Minister also stressed on the need to have drugs available 24x7, especially snake and dog bite cases. He also asked designated PHCs to operate 24 hours a day and develop a complaint redressal mechanism.