Port Blair, Mar 21: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Member of Parliament, A&N Islands 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 pandemic which even most developed countries in the world equipped with most advanced medical facilities could not find solution to this widespread pandemic and threat to human lives still prevails since it outbreak.
Mr. Sharma said in order to spontaneously respond to such unforeseen health crisis, India need to establish a well knitted network of reliable and affordable primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare service system across the country hence due diligence need to be observed while formulating the budget proposals with sufficient fund allocation.
Mr.Kuldeep Rai Sharma while inviting the attention of the chair 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 to various statistics and health parameters concerning the Islanders such diminishing boy to girl (child) sex ratio, increase in percentage of underweight children, increase in case of hypertension in both male and female etc. Mr. 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 need to in the Health sector by the Central Government for the far flung Andaman and Nicobar Islands so that the healthcare services and medical facilities in the Islands becomes reliable and self reliant.
Mr. Sharma said at present tertiary healthcare services in the Islands are not available and seriously and critically ill patients are either referred to Speciality and Super Speciality hospitals in mainland or they of their own risking life and incurring huge expenditure on treatment. Hence, the Central Government need to establish All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Andaman and 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’ Mr. 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. Mr. Sharma said that discontinuance of ANISHI scheme has deprived many poor Islanders and also the retired government servants who doesn’t belong to the category of beneficiaries prescribed for Ayushman Bharat such as BPL & AAY families and requested the Minister for Health and Family Welfare to reintroduce the ANISHI Scheme for wellness and wellbeing of the Islanders.
Mr. Sharma 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 the meagerly paid ASHA workers need to provided regular service.
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 provided for airlifting the seriously ill patients from remote Islands to the lone referral hospital G B Pant at Port Blair.
