Invites Attention of the Health Ministry on Burning Issues Concerning Health of the Islanders
Port Blair, March 21: The Member of Parliament, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma while debating on demands for grants under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the financial year 2021-22 invited the attention of the House saying that the adequacy of budgetary provision of 2.23 lakhs Crores announced by the Finance Minister while presenting the annual budget for year 2021- 22 need to be considered in wake of the challenges thrown by the COVID-19. Even most developed countries in the world equipped with most advanced medical facilities could not find solution to this widespread pandemic and threat still prevails. Shri Sharma said that in order to spontaneously respond to such unforeseen health crisis, India needs to establish a well knitted network of reliable and affordable primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare service system across the country. Due diligence need to be observed while formulating the budget proposals with sufficient fund allocation, he said.
Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma expressed gratitude to all Corona warriors of the Islands who are associated with the Health sector for carefully handling the situation and saving lives of the Islanders from the threat of COVID-19 pandemic. Citing statistics and health parameters concerning the Islanders such as diminishing boy to girl (child) sex ratio, increase in percentage of underweight children, increase in case of hypertension in both male and female etc. Sharma requested the Health Minister to get these matters looked into for improvement.
Expressing concern over the deteriorating health parameters in the Islands and the available medical treatment facilities, the Member of Parliament suggested certain specific steps which needs to be taken in the Health sector by the Central Government for the far flung Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
At present tertiary healthcare services in the Islands are not available and seriously and critically ill patients are referred to Speciality and Super Speciality hospitals in mainland. Hence, the Central Government needs to establish All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Andaman & Nicobar Islands as being done across the entire nation under Pradhan Mantri Swathya Suraksha Yojana so that all kind of treatment facilities gets available in the Islands.
Referring to the government health insurance scheme 'Ayushman Bharat', Sharma said that A&N Islands have their own health insurance scheme namely Andaman and Nicobar Islands Scheme for Health Insurance (ANISHI) which provides financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakhs per patient for treatment to such Islanders who are having annual income of less than Rs. 3 lakhs and the retired government servants of Andaman and Nicobar Administration on being referred by the Directorate of Health Services, to empanelled Speciality hospitals in mainland. The MP said that discontinuance of ANISHI scheme has deprived many poor Islanders and also the retired government servants who do not belong to the category of beneficiaries prescribed for Ayushman Bharat such as BPL & AAY families. He requested the Minister for Health and Family Welfare to reintroduce the ANISHI Scheme for wellness and wellbeing of the Islanders.
The MP also placed before house the urgent need of filling up of many vacant posts various categories under the Directorate of Health Services such as Specialist and Super Specialist Doctors, Drivers and other paramedical staffs such as Nurses, Pharmacist, Lab Technicians, Ward Attendants, Ayahs, Sweepers, Drivers etc. He requested the government to provide nurses in each school and regularization of service of the meagerly paid ASHA workers.
As regard to infrastructure facilities for providing medical treatment, the Member of Parliament insisted upon setting up of CATH Lab and Trauma Center at G.B Pant Hospital. He advocated for providing Ultrasound Imaging Machine at every Primary Health Center (PHC) and Community Health Center (CHC) with Dialysis facilities, Operation Theatre at each and every PHC & CHC, Air Ambulance in form of Helicopter to be provided for airlifting the seriously ill patients from remote Islands to the lone referral hospital G B Pant at Port Blair.