Shameful deaths (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: Health
Prelims level : Not much
Mains level : Loopholes in health system in India

Context:

• At JK Lon Hospital in Kota, 105 infants died in December alone. In neighbouring Gujarat, 111 infants died in Rajkot Civil Hospital and 85 deaths were recorded in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, also in December.
• The divergence in Gujarat between its economic and social indicators (as indeed for India as a whole) points to the problems with India’s model of development, where the State has persistently under-invested in the social sector.

Causes of death:

• As for the prevalence of hunger amidst a stockpile of foodgrains, the government needs to do some explaining.
• Community medicine research has established the role of nutrition in keeping even vector-borne diseases like malaria at bay.
• In Rajasthan, the report of a government panel reveals that a majority of infants died due to hypothermia.
• The ICU did not have warmers to maintain the infant body temperature at its ideal of 36.5 degrees Celsius.
• Of the total 28 nebulisers, 22 were dysfunctional, there were no para monitors or oxymeters that are routinely required to monitor oxygen levels, there was no oxygen pipeline, and the ICU had not been fumigated for months.

Way ahead:

• These revelations are reflective of both the appalling state of public hospitals in India and the vulnerability to disease of the impoverished population.
• In the range of 1.2-1.4 per cent of GDP over the past decade, public financing of health accounts for less than a third of overall, mostly out of pocket, health expenditure.
• As a result, life expectancy at birth in India is lower than in Nepal and Bangladesh.
• The infant mortality rate is higher than that of Bangladesh.
• Full immunisation rate of children is 62 per cent while many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have rates higher than 90 per cent.
• The urgency of a substantial increase in public financing of health care, besides health system reforms, cannot be greater.

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  General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL), consider the following statements:
1. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently given in-principle approval for the sale of equity held by four Central Public Sector Enterprises and two-state PSUs in Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL).
2. It is a company promoted by MMTC Ltd, Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa limited.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C
Mains Questions:
Q.1) What are the major causes of children and infants death in India?