News Dated: 5 May 2011
PUNE: From revamping the city's health infrastructure to introducing specialised schemes for the urban poor, the Pune branch of the Communist Party's (Marxist) public health charter seeks to safeguard the health rights of every citizen. A nine-page draft of the charter was released during a programme held at the S M Joshi Socialist Foundation on Tuesday.
"Several large-scale surveys indicate that the health status of people living in urban slums is worse than that of the rural population in the state," said Ajit Abhyankar, general secretary, Pune district, Community Party of India (M). "This is particularly true of vulnerable and marginalised sections of the urban poor living in Pune. The health indices of this burgeoning population are much worse than the state average. The public health charter is an attempt to sensitise the local bodies about the duties incumbent upon them."
CPI party activist Kiran Moghe said, "Considering the rising population of the city, there is a need to fill up the posts of urban health workers along the lines of rural health workers. Also, various medical facilities are deficient at PMC-run hospitals and there is shortage of staff, equipment and drugs at many dispensaries."
"The urban health infrastructure needs to be revamped, with attention given to financing of urban health posts. The role of urban social health activist (USHA) is crucial to ensure universal access to services by the poor," said Sanjay Dhabade, the doctor who drafted the charter.
He said that the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) had been established by the government of India to develop a health policy for the urban poor but the government had failed to make financial provision to run the programme in cities. "The scheme is gathering dust," Dabhade said.
NUHM aims to improve the health status of the urban poor, particularly slum-dwellers, and other disadvantaged sections by facilitating equitable access to quality health care through a revamped public health system with the active involvement of urban local bodies, he added.
Corporator Siddharth Dhende said, "Small towns are particularly vulnerable because of a lack of infrastructure and the poor health of the urban poor. Poor knowledge of available services leads to low usage. A targeted approach to ensure universal access must be initiated." Use of health services by the urban poor involves large out-of-pocket expenditure by them, causing indebtedness and further poverty. Viable funding options and adequate monitoring by civil society must be ensured, Dhende said.
Health activist Anant Phadke stressed that the civic body should find other ways to raise funds to improve the city's health infrastructure.
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