NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY

National Family Health Survey 2005-2006 Disturbing facts about Haryana

Shining Haryana-Suffering Haryana-Health Front              

The process of globalisation has lead to a situation where richest 20% of the population command 86% of the world GDP while the poorest 20% command merely 1(One) %. In other words this model of development and market oriented system, has divided the world in to “Shining World” and “Suffering World”,Similarly we can say that there are tow India,”Shining India” and “Suffering India”. Haryana cannot be an exception.”Shining Haryana and suffering Haryana are very obvious now. On one side of the road there is “Shining Gurgaon” and on the other side of the same road is “Suffering Gurgaon”.It can be said about every town or village also.

Public Health is an obvious causality of this process. There is a clear contradiction between the principles of public health and neoliberal economic theory. Public health is a “public good” i.e. its benefits cannot be individually enjoyed or computed, but have to be seen in the context of benefits that are enjoyed by the public. Thus public health outcomes are shared, and their accumulation lead to better living conditions. It does not mechanically transfer into visible economic determinants, viz income levels or rates of growth. Kerala, for example, has one of the lowest per capita incomes in India but its public health indicators as such are that approach the levels in many developed countries. Infant mortality rate in kerala is less than a third of any other large state in the country including Haryana. An important consequence of globalisation has been commonly described as the”Feminisation of poverty” as women increasingly had to strive to hold families together in various ways in the face of increasing pressures , main among them are increasing poverty, insecurity and ill-health. According to one estimate less than 10% of the $ 5.6 billion spent each year globally on medical research is aimed at the health problems affecting 90% of the world’s population.

The results of National Family Health Survey-III, about Haryana need an in depth analysis but seeing it on random basis it can be said that a state which is “Shining on one side is also suffering on the other side. Economically very much advanced but socially lagging behind ,Haryana is well known on the map of the world regarding declining sex ratio .The under weight children under age 3 percentage is 42 in NFHS-III where as it was 35 and 35 in first and second NFHS surveys. The wasted group has 6,5,and 17% respectively in I,II and III NFHS .The percentage of Women whose body mass Index is below normal is 27% in NFHS-III where as it was 25.9% in NFHSII. Also the percentage of women who are overweight or obese has increased from 16.6 to 21.0. the percentage of anaemic ever married women age 15-49 has increased from 47.0(NFHSII) to 56.5(NFHSIII).

Similarly the percentage of pregnant women age 15-49 who are anaemic has increased from 55.5(NFHSII) to 69.7(NFHSIII). The percentage of women who want 2 sons has also increased from 95.2% (NFHSII) to 97.4%(NFHSIII).Paradox is that per capita expenditure on health has increased from Rest. 175.02 in 1998-99 to 243.27 in 2006-2007, though it may still be less.

A very challenging situation is emerging on health front in Haryana. The medical fraternity and paramedics have to rise upto the occasion and decide whether they are for “Shining India” only or are for “Suffering India” first and then “Shining India”. We must see the writings on the wall. The primary and secondary level health care is virtually collapsing in Haryana. In Rohtak district there are 5 CHC’s – Meham, Kalanaur,Chiri, Sampla and Kiloi. As per the norms there should be a surgeon, Physician, Pediatrician and gynaecologist in each CHC. Unfortunately there is not a single specialist in any of the above CHC’s.We must see the writing on the wall.