Health scenario in state far from satisfactory,claims study

The survey has placed the state third from bottom in regard to complete immunisation programme for children between 12 and 23 months of age. In UP,40.9 per cent children in this age group have received full immunisation,which is better than only Arunachal Pradesh (24.8 per cent) and Nagaland (27.8 per cent). In district-level household and facility survey (DLHS) of 2007-08,with 30.3 per cent fully immunised children,the state stood second from last,better than only Arunachal Pradesh (13.5). The complete immunisation for children between 12 and 23 months include vaccine shots for BCG,Measles,Diphtheria,Whooping cough,Tetanus and Polio.

Four years after the Janani Suraksha Yojana was launched in the state,the institutional delivery in the state has improved from 24.5 per cent to 62.1 per cent. While in DLHS of 2007-08,UP stood fourth from below,performing better than Jharkhand (17.8),Chhattisgarhhhhhhh (18.1) and Meghalaya (24.4),this time it has left behind seven states including Punjab,Himachal Pradesh,Bihar,Jharkhand,NagaChhattisgarhisgarh,and Uttarakhand.

However,the complete ante-natal care being given to women in the state is still as low as 12.4 per cent. Remarkably though,in DLHS,Uttar Pradesh showed the lowest figures of ante-natal care — 3.3 per cent — as against India’s 18.8 per cent.

However,health officials said it is not lack of facility but documentation of facilities which lead to underrating of the state in the national survey. “We are weak not at implementation but at documentation of our work. The review teams from the Central level have also said that the kind of facilities we are providing are no less than that of Gujarat. But because of lack of records,we are unable to present our work,” said Dr SP Ram,Director General,Family Welfare,Uttar Pradesh.

“We are aiming at 70 to 80 per cent of complete immunisation and hope that the next survey will bring better news for the state,” said Dr Ram.