COFFEE WITH HT‘Healthcare delivery will be given a tech push’

LUCKNOW: Healthcare delivery is set to go through a change for the better in Uttar Pradesh with technology help, on the one hand, to make services reach remote areas

LUCKNOW: Healthcare delivery is set to go through a change for the better in Uttar Pradesh with technology help, on the one hand, to make services reach remote areas and improved work culture, on the other, said health minister JP Singh at the ‘Coffee with HT’ programme, at HT office here on Tuesday.

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“I saw use of telemedicine in Chandauli that enables a person to get expert opinion from a distant place. At present this is available at a few places but we can certainly take it to all the 75 districts of the state,” said the minister.

The requirement (of services) is more in the interiors, or say at community health centre (CHC)-level, he said while making a point on the shortage of doctors.

“We are short of about 7,000 doctors in the state and we need to find ways to increase their strength and also the medical services,” he said.

The minister said technology would also be brought in to ensure doctors attend duty. Biometric attendance will be brought into practice at government hospitals as is done at medical institutes in the state. In 37 districts, e-hospitals have been implemented, he said.

Asked about the issue of doctors not joining government services and avoiding rural postings, the minister said infrastructure needed to be developed for the purpose. “I have visited several places and saw that there were houses built at CHC-level for doctors, but some of them need repair,” he said.

He said services such as CT scan, MRI etc. should be in the reach of patients in the rural pockets, too.

The minister said the use of CSR funds may also be planned to improve facilities at hospitals. “Improving existing facilities, sustaining existing infrastructure, ensuring correct use of medical equipment and their availability and reducing manpower shortage are our priority,” he said.

The state presently has incomplete buildings of about 80 primary health centres (PHCs) due to ongoing inquires but the health department will soon get them completed.

“Availability of drugs from the newly-formed Medical Supplies Corporation was hindered but now we have about 296 drugs in regular supply,” he said.

Asked about the issue of sub-standard drugs being supplied from the corporation, the minister said there are several check points made by the corporation when they purchase medicines and this includes random checking of the supplied medicines. It was during this checking that drugs were tested and found sub-standard.

A batch of a particular drug was recalled from the hospitals they were supplied to, and now action will be taken against the companies responsible for supply of those sub-standard drugs, he said.

The long pending demand of government doctors regarding posting shall soon be addressed as the health minister said, “We can consider posting them in districts in which they will be able to work better,” said the minister.

He said that issue of outsourcing is a pre-existing one. Term of some of the projects such UPHSDP had come to an end but we were worried how to accommodate the staff.

BOX

LUCKNOW: GVK EMRI, the company that runs the 108 and 102 ambulance service, will be asked to explain why the strike happened despite information from the state government on Saturday, two-days before the strike, and also imposition of ESMA on ambulance services.

The company will also face action from the health department. The minister said that running of ambulances was the company’s responsibility.

“The strike happened due to their internal issue that should have been resolved by their officials. We shall reconsider their working,” he said.

The statewide strike by ambulance drivers on Monday had caused three deaths and problem to thousands of patients across the state.

The drivers had gone on strike demanding pending salaries, fixed work hours and reinstatement of terminated drivers.

TRAUMA CENTRES

LUCKNOW: The health department will start recruitment for 40 trauma centres located on highways. These trauma centres, said the health minister, will ensure that those injured in road accidents will get treatment at the earliest.

THE PRIORITIES

1. Improve existing structures

2, Ensure patients get facility at nearest possible place

3. Get pending projects completed

4. Correct manpower shortage

5. Ensure adequate number of paramedical staff

6. Modern facilities like CT scan, MRI etc. to reach patients in rural places also