Health Policy Issues and Health Programmes in ... - Amazon S3

Implementation of National Health Programmes in UttaranchallllllllEstablishment of inter-departmental coordination committeeReturn of MPWs to medical and health departmentsTraining of medical and field staffTimely release of funds for drug procurement and supplyCamp approach to be followed until vacant positions are filledAction plan to be adhered to as preparedSurveillance system to be established.Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) Control ProgrammeFollowing baseline surveys conducted between 1980 and 1988, eight hilly districts of present dayUttaranchal (formerly UP) were identified as iodine deficient–Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh,Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun, Nainital, and Almora. The surveys found that iodinedeficiency ranged from 3.5% in Tehri Garhwal to 40% in each of the three districts of Uttarkashi,Chamoli, and Pithoragarh. The Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control Programme was originatedin 1966 as the Goitre Control Programme.Subsequently, under the provision of the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act of theGovernment of UP, storage and sale of non-iodized salt was banned in these eight districts andBijnor district. In 1987, the programme was reviewed by UP and the sale of non-iodized salt wasbanned in all districts of the state.Manpower availability is inadequate in the IDD cell; none of the programme positions havebeen filled. Staff members of other national programmes are managing this programme. Thestate IDD cell has been set up recently and is in the process of streamlining the system byestablishing and equipping laboratory facilities in ML Hospital at Dehradun.Despite these hurdles, the IDD programme has been successful in reducing the iodinedeficiency of the population in Uttaranchal. A 1993 survey in Garhwal found that the prevalencerate of IDD had decreased dramatically and ranged between 7% and 15%. Inter-districtvariations were observed and ranged from less than 1% in Nainital to 46% in Dehradun. Anindependent assessment is being carried out in Dehradun and Almora.Shortcomingsl Shortage of manpowerl Absence of laboratory facilitiesl Lack of technical training for laboratory techniciansl Lack of publicity for the programmel Lack of coordination with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programmel Quality of salt supplied to be randomly checkedl Quality of remote and less accessible outlets to be checkedSolutionsl Manpower per GoI norms to be filledl Establishment of laboratory facilities to be expedited44