If Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has successfully set aside the ‘bimaru’ tag for Madhya Pradesh in the course of the past decade, there is no better proof of that than in the health sector in the state which has become one of the most developed in the country.
Along with the urban landscape, the real change can be felt in the sweeping reforms implemented to improve health in rural areas across the state. The Vision Document-2018 envisions comprehensive healthcare for all through continuous up-gradation of facilities, increasing the availability of trained human resources, expanding the reach of the health service pertaining to maternal health, child health, and family welfare programme.
Health Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra recently directed to give benefit of women’s health check-up camps to every village. Besides, efforts should be made to increase availability of health check-up equipment and facilities at village level in every district. Necessary health services should be extended to women at villages by holding camps, Mishra said, adding camps should also be held in urban areas.
Mishra said that departmental staff will be rewarded for excellent work. It is noteworthy that over 20 lakh women of 40,000 villages benefited from the first phase camps during August and September 2015.
The state government is also paying special attention to the health of small children and students. Flavoured milk is being served thrice a week in all primary schools and anganwadis since 15 July 2015. As many as 79,94,000 children are being served flavoured milk every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. New kitchen shades have been constructed in 89,666 rural schools to cook nutritious food in a smokeless atmosphere.
In all, 25,500 LPG connections have been provided at the rate of 500 LPG connections for each district.