Health for all: Time for nationwide movement beyond slogans

As the world observes Health Day on April 7, we have the same old slogan being recycled. Slogans are music to ears. From Garibi Hatao to Health for All, Housing for All and Swachh Bharat, we have been hearing all types of slogans, not to forget the political slogans. The UN health body World Health Organization had given the Health for All by 2000 slogan and obviously the scheme did not work. Now the current year’s World Health Day slogan again is Health For All. Of course, the WHO, at 75, does not specify any target year, but merely says ‘Join WHO on a journey to achieve Health For All’.

The earlier target has failed due to a variety of reasons, mainly lack of political will. We have seen it in India. Until it came to the neck in the form of the pandemic, we have not realised the importance of healthcare. But during the pandemic, all from poor to the upper middle class were forced to visit the Covid care centres. But even that process was slow until people were dying like insects. Human life and death had no value at all. I know it is awfully uneasy to recap what happened just a couple of years ago. But, by recalling the experiences we should be able to brace ourselves to face the future crisis and work for a better future.

The planned city such as Navi Mumbai didn't even have its own RTPCR test facility till June 2020 and the swabs were being sent to Mumbai for confirmation or otherwise of Coronavirus. Remember, the virus was first detected in December 2019 and we had patients in India by the following January itself. Let’s face it, we were lethargic in accepting the bitter truth until it reached unmanageable levels.

But due credit must be given to science, the entire health care community – from ward boys to drivers to doctors to nursing staff. Thank science for giving us the fastest vaccine which acted as a fantastic morale booster. Though many developed Covid even after receiving the shots, the severity was not that high. There were not many deaths as compared to the pre-vaccine phases. Covid is not yet over and it’s not yet the time to lower the guard – namely the mast – in crowded areas. That is the first and foremost thing to note for ensuring Health for All. Health for all begins with Health for Me! I think one has to be selfish about health care and if each one of us takes care of oneself (while we keep saying ‘take care’ to others) we would have achieved halfway to the goal.

Healthcare must be a mass movement that must be launched with much more vigour than the Namami Gange campaign. And it has to be from top to bottom and vice versa. From the Panchayat to Parliament, everyone must care for healthcare. As I discussed once earlier, the Uttar Pradesh example of Health ATM system, wherein a single booth/machine can conduct 55 types of tests, must be adopted by all States and UTs. These are all CSR managed. To begin with, the State connects the PHCs with Health ATMs. In the next phase, it will connect all Gram Panchayats with these. UP launched the Arogya Melas in 2020, which are held every Sunday and feature a variety of expert doctors, including gynaecologists, physicians and dermatologists. Around 3 to 4 lakh people attend these Melas, Yogi claims. UP is also making use of tele-medicine consultancy attached to its Health ATMs. We shall await independent studies on the effective implementation of this laudable system.

As per the new Companies Act, CSR funds (at least 2 per cent of companies’ profits) are supposed to be spent on projects that make an impact on the society around the businesses. I strongly feel that health and environment should be given top priority and the governments – local, state and centre – must work out projects accordingly. I am a strong proponent of pooling in CSR funds for effective usage. The district level business fora, social bodies such as Lions and Rotarians should come forward to facilitate this. The success of Polio Drops drive is a good example to follow. India has huge army of census enumerators, government schoolteachers and para-medical workers who double up as polio volunteers and the postmen and women who enjoy tremendous credibility. This infantry is the best tool to conduct health related surveys and spread awareness about keeping their areas clean, insect-free and so on. In fact, this should be part of the extended Swachh Bharat campaign. Constant monitoring and audit of open defecation free (ODF) areas is a must. Things would move well if the district collectors are held accountable and this accountability must flow upward and downwards as well. Malnutrition is one of the biggest maladies. Even those who are sick do not get proper food. The much-publicised millet project should prove to be an Amritkal gift if implemented well. This should form part of the minimum government maximum governance ethos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Now we have technology at our fingertips. From the traditional radio to the modern mobile phones, the government has mass tools for communication for health and happiness. Health is wealth is an old concept. Health is Happiness is the new beginning. The word wealth has an element of greed as an ingredient. Happiness is happiness.

We have the untapped resources of school and college students which can be used for spreading health and happiness. In fact, this topic deserves a full-fledged discussion which I shall initiate soon. Watch this space.

(The columnist is a Mumbai-based media veteran now running websites and a youtube channel known for his thought-provoking messaging)