The state health and family welfare department is looking to forge partnerships with the healthcare institutions in the private sector.
The department has identified areas of cooperation like need-based research and training, inputs on updating policies, conducting independent evaluation of health related issues and providing latest information on global health practices.
“We are looking for alliances with the private health care institutions who can offer their expertise in areas like need-based research, conducting independent evaluation of health related issues and updating the state health department on global healthcare practices”, said Anu Garg, secretary, health and family welfare department, Orissa government. Stressing on need-based research, she said, research activities in healthcare should be taken up in those areas which can benefit the people in the rural areas.
She was speaking at a seminar on Childhood Nutrition and Infectious Diseases, organized by the city-based Asian Institute of Public Health (AIPH). Garg stated that the state health and family welfare department was working in close collaboration with the department of Women and Child Development on issues related to women and child health.
More than 40,000 ASHA (accredited social health activists) workers have been chosen from different villages across the state, she pointed out.
These ASHA workers are engaged under Janani Surakshya Yojana (JSY) of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Prasanna Acharya, the state health minister said, over 12 lakh women across the state have been benefited from the JSY.
“The key health indicators in the state like infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR) have improved but a lot of work needs to be done on these areas. Besides IMR and MMR, malnutrition is a cause of concern and we are planning to set up nutrition centres at all the district headquarters of the state”, he added.
Pinaki Panigrahi, secretary, AIPH said, “The first batch of students of AIPH-Bhubaneswar have completed their certificate course in Public Health Management. AIPH has ten Centres of Excellence which include Centre for Public Health Informatics, Centre for Global Health and Development, Centre for Emerging Diseases and Centre for Public Policy to name a few.”
