E-Paper
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Health not a major poll issue in Uttarakhand
The condition of the sub-standard health facilities of the state has been brought to the forefront several times over the past few months.
Despite the crumbling health infrastructure in Uttarakhand, improving health services does not rank high among most of the candidates contesting for the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
The condition of the sub-standard health facilities of the state has been brought to the forefront several times over the past few months. In September last year, a woman and her newborn baby died in Dehradun after she gave birth to the baby on the floor of Government Doon Medical College Hospital due to lack of beds.
Many cases have been reported in the last one year wherein the 108 emergency ambulances could not reach patients in hilly areas of the state and alternate arrangements had to be made by the family members, leading to loss of precious time during which medical attention was necessary.
Despite this, candidates from neither the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nor the Congress have not been seen raising health infrastructure as a critical poll issue. With party-based national political issues occupying the spotlight during election campaigning, vital issues such as health have taken a back seat.
“Firstly, there is a lack of health-care centres in the hilly areas. On top of that, doctors are not present or the machines do not function. Patients are referred from one hospital to another due to lack of facilities but no politician is talking about this problem,” said 46-year-old Sheila Rawat from Almora.
“People of hilly areas suffer constantly due to the poor health services, especially in the remote areas. Yet, leaders are coming to us asking for our votes and talking to us about what Prime Minister Modi has said or what Rahul Gandhi has promised. They are not talking about our issues,” said SC Nautiyal, a resident of Tehri.
Responding to this, BJP candidate from Tehri constituency Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah said, “The Centre as well as the state government has done a lot to improve the health infrastructure of the state and it remains one of our priorities. Prime Minister Modi also launched Ayushman Bharat to this effect last year, following which the chief minister also launched Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana for the state. BJP will continue to work towards improving the health of people, especially women and children.”
Her opponent from the same seat and state Congress president Pritam Singh said he is raising a number of issues among people and health is one of them. “The crumbling health infrastructure of the state is a reality due to which lakhs of people suffer in Uttarakhand every year. The situation is even worse in hilly areas, where they do not have any alternative apart from government hospitals. This is one of the primary concerns of the people and I am ensuring them that Congress will do everything in its capacity to improve the health services in the state.”
IMA releases ‘health manifesto’
Indian Medical Association, a national level association of more than three lakh doctors of modern medicine across the country, has released a ‘health manifesto’ to attract the attention of government and political parties towards this sector.
The manifesto demands to increase the GDP share in health care from 1.2% to 5%, with focus on primary and preventive health, medical education and research. They have also demanded to increase the number of primary health centres (PHCs) and to ensure the availability of one sub-centre for 10,000 people in urban and semi-urban areas, 5,000 in rural areas and 3,000 in hilly and tribal areas. Universal health coverage to all, irrespective of their socio-economic status or geographical location, is also one of the key demands.
“While politicians are busy campaigning and asking for votes from people, they are yet again ignoring the health sector, which is an issue which affects everyone in the country. We are already aware that the health condition of Uttarakhand is in shambles, so it is very important for the government and the political players to turn their attention to this issue,” said Dr DD Choudhury, secretary of IMA’s state unit.
