A discussion on effective implementation of National Health Programmes and policies at grassroots levels

Internship Experience
1

During my internship in Social & Preventative Medicine department, I saw the nurses and clerks keeping records of the screening of elderly for Type 2 DM and Hypertension. At some PHCs and CHCs they sometimes added false entries of patients to meet their daily target.

This made me question whether the National Health Programmes are making an actual change or if they are being pushed onto a healthcare system that is not ready for them yet.

The place where I saw this the most was located near a city and had a lot of private clinics. Assumptions can be made that most people visited the clinic compared to a smaller chunk of those underprivileged who would visit the said PHC, which could be a contributing factor for the lower number of people screened for non-communicable diseases in the NCD clinic.

This raises the question of the quality of healthcare provided in government setups vs in private setups which is a discussion of its own.

Where does the burden of effective implementation of policies fall? On the government lacking proper infrastructure and facilities or the quality of care provided by the individual doctor working in the said government setup?

MBH/AB

1 Like
2

I think effective implementation of health policies is a shared responsibility. The government is responsible for providing proper infrastructure, resources, staffing, and monitoring, which form the foundation, while healthcare professionals play an important role in delivering care effectively.

3

Lack of necessary skills on side of healthcare professionals and weak coordination between departments in the implementation of health programs are some contributing factors in weak implementation of national health programs.