Slating a significant progress in healthcare services, J&K registers highest Inpatient Dept care in country
Jammu, January 8: With improving situation, the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state has shown a significant progress in improvement in public health parameters against the corresponding national average for the last few years. According to the recently released state wise fact sheet by National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), New Delhi on the basis of National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) 75th round report, J&K has significantly improved its performance in outpatient care, in-patient care, child birth, Antenatal Care (ANC), Post Natal Care (PNC) by utilizing its existing Public Health Facilities and Out Of Pocket Expenditure (OiceOPE).
As per the highlights of the report, all women in Jammu and Kashmir are availing Antenatal Care (ANC) services, out of which 80-92% services are being provided by Public Health Facilities, which is higher than the national average. The trend of availing Post Natal Care (PNC) has also increased from 81 to 99% and there is a significant increase in utilization of public health facilities for availing PNC services from 60 to 97% since 2014.
Over 96 percent Inpatient Department (IPD) care in rural areas of J&K is provided by Public Health Facilities, which is highest against the country’s average of 85 percent. The overall proportion of hospitalized persons (IPD) per 1000 patients has significantly decreased (10-15 percent) since 2014 and is less than national average in both rural and urban areas, the report said. Pointing towards good health-seeking behaviour, J&K has emerged as one of the top performers in terms of the utilization of the Public Health Facilities, as 80 percent people avail OPD services from Public Health Facilities, especially in rural areas, showing a 15-30 percent increase in OPD cases in the last few years.
As per the report, the number of ailing persons per 1000 population in rural areas is less than national average and use of informal care by non-hospitalized cases is also very low (<2 percent). The report further says that 97 percent deliveries take place in the health facilities in J&K and is higher than national average, out of which more than 86 percent take place in Public Health Facilities.
For tackling the issue of Out Of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) and fulfilling the commitment to make the healthcare services cashless in Public Health Facilities, Government of J&K is already implementing various interventions in mission mode, like streamlining the procurement of drugs and consumables, implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, through public and empanelled private hospitals for providing cashless IPD services to the golden card holders and operationalization of Health and Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat, free drug and diagnostic Initiatives, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program, Biomedical Equipment Management and Maintenance Program and National Pradhan Mantri Dialysis Program.