NAHARLAGUN, Aug 7: The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) organized a state level orientation workshop at its state training hall here on Tuesday.
Addressing the participants, Health & Family Welfare Special Secretary Tapasya Raghav called for “inter-sectoral convergence and proactive involvement of local bodies, communities and NGOs” to strengthen the health delivery system under the NUHM.
“Despite the proximity of urban poor to urban health facilities, their access to them is severely restricted on account of overcrowded health facilities, ineffective outreach, social exclusion, lack of awareness or financial barriers, due to which programmes like full immunization are difficult to achieve their goals in urban areas,” she said.
Emphasizing the importance of expanding the NUHM in the state, she said more districts may join under the ambit of the NUHM by next year. At present, only two districts – Papum Pare and East Siang – are eligible for implementation of the NUHM programmes.
Raghav also pointed out that the non-performing Mahila Arogya Samitis would be removed from the NUHM. “Maximum benefit should be percolated down to ground level by mobilizing the frontline workers,” she said.
Earlier, NUHM nodal officer Dr R Dodum explained the objectives of the NUHM.
“We need to strengthen the NUHM to achieve its goals by providing urban poor with equitable access to health care,” Dr Dodum added.
Senior consultant of the NHM’s Regional Resource Centre for the Northeastern Region (RRC-NE), Dr BK Shome spoke on the topic on ‘Community processes’, while another RRC-NE senior consultant , Sagarika Kalita, delivered a lecture on ‘Inter-sectoral convergence’. Dr Dodum spoke on the topic ‘Quality assurance in urban area’.
Officials from the women & child development department, representatives of the TRIHMS, the National Livelihood Mission and the National Youth Project, scholars from RGU’s sociology department, and health mission staffers of Papum Pare and East Siang districts attended the workshop.
