Public health: No band-aids; Kerala needs life-savers

Thiruvananthapuram: While the LDF government is planning to modify the Public Health Protection Agency which was introduced by the previous UDF Government, questions are being raised about the priorities of the health authorities.  Those engaged in public health care activities have always accused successive state governments of systematically destroying public health. It was ironical that now the system is being sought to be revived through the agency.

Many experts believe that instead of creating an agency, the government should create a separate directorate for public health on the lines of neighbouring Tamil Nadu.  While the hospitals in that state continue to be under health service department, most primary and community health centres have been transferred to the public health directorate. As a result, all immunisation programmes, disease control and prevention programmes are now being carried out effectively in that state.

Doctors say Tamil Nadu’s track record in containing communicable diseases is quite good thanks to the effective system in place.  The successive governments in the state have failed to improve the management skills of health officials to meet the requirements. This can be gauged from the fact that Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies which started Masters in Public Health (MPH) way back in 1997, had received a poor response from Kerala.

On the other hand many other states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar North East have made best use of these courses. Several officials trained here were now holding key positions in the public health care sector in their respective states. Experts say the state needed to come out of the crisis management mode and think of a long term plan to counter recurring communicable diseases. An integrated approach involving the local bodies, Kerala Water Authority and Health department is the need for the hour.