Building up India's health

There was everything to be done: hospitals to be built, a large population to be educated, nutrition to be tackled, as well as education for doctors and nurses. Also, new laws, new vaccines, new alliances with the world at large. Amrit Kaur writes on matters of grave concern to her Ministry of Health

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It is a real tragedy for India that very little attention has been paid to the nation's health in the past. The rural population which constitutes the real India was wholly neglected and even in the cities the facilities afforded to the poor were not such as to inspire confidence in the patient or cater adequately to the general need.

Independent India has had, therefore, to face a tremendous problem and since Independence, as we all know, has come not only an upheaval of population which no country in the world has ever had to face on such an immense scale but even Nature has dealt very harshly with us. We have got practical projects which we would like to undertake but we are handicapped by financial stringency.

Nevertheless, the health of the people cannot be allowed to deteriorate and a rapid advance in the course of three years has been made in the face of great difficulties.

Under the new Constitution the States are autonomous in respect of medical relief and public health. So long, however, as they continued to get financial aid from the Centre it was incumbent on them to get the approval of the Centre for their schemes.

Since this financial aid is no longer forth coming all that the Centre can do is to advise the States and keep in close touch with them in their endeavours to build up the health of the people committed to their charge.

Activities of the states

The Government of West Bengal have launched an ambitious scheme for the improvement of health amenities on the lines recommended by the Bhore Committee and aim at providing a four-bedded hospital in each of the Union Boards of the State.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh are concentrating on the expansion of rural medical relief by opening new dispensaries and encouraging as many medical practitioners as possible to settle in rural centres. Maternity and child welfare is receiving special attention.