By TwoCircles.net news desk
New Delhi: A two-day workshop on “Community Health” was organized by United Milli Forum of Jharkhand on 15th and 16th of February at Al Manar Campus in Ranchi. The purpose of the workshop was to create awareness on public health issues in the state.
The program was organized with wide participation from different sections of civil society having interest and involvement in public health issues of the state. The purpose of the workshop was to create awareness and activities on public health issues of Jharkhand, with involvement of those already working on such issues and those who want to join and expand action in this area as well as to plan training programs in community health/public health work for youth.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Shamim Hyder of Ranchi Institute of Medical Sciences. Various papers were presented in the workshop. They include: Overview of health care situation in India, Analysis of health care situation of Jharkand, Public health work of Dr Binayak Sen, Role of spirituality in community health and right to health care by V Srinivasan, Dr Suranjan, Dr Prabir Chatterjee and Arshad Ajmal respectively.
A medical camp was also organized in Islampur slum area of the city. Dr Niranjan, Dr Siddeeqi and Dr Saiju Hameed led the camp. Hundreds of slum dwellers benefited the camp. The organizers are of the hope that the medical camp will open a permanent entry into the area for community health awareness and works.
A documentary film The Iron is hot was screened in the program by Meghnath. The documentary that shows the environmental and health hazards of iron mines in the nearby states led to serious discussions on the concept and motives of newer development programs.
Apart from members of the United Milli Forum various civil society groups in Jharkhand, representatives from West Bengal and Bihar also participated in the workshop. Representatives of Ethical Medical Forum and Solidarity Youth Movement of Kerala were also present.
The United Milli Forum is a political forum which is making continuous intervention in politics effectively for the last five years. In the month of February it had taken out “Insaf o Mohabbat Caravan” in the whole length and breadth of Jharkhand touching fifty spots, led by Dr. Hasan Raza, convener United Milli Forum and Ameer e Halqa of JIH Jharkhand.
A ten-point Manifesto for a Healthy India was adopted in the workshop. The demands of the manifesto are as follows:
1. Make Right to Health a fundamental Constitutional Right and enact a Right to Healthcare Act under which all Indian citizens can get easily accessible, quality healthcare services;
2. Stop privatization of healthcare and abdication of the state’s responsibility for health of citizens in the country;
3. Raise budget allocation for health to 5 percent of GDP by 2012 and to 10 percent of GDP by 2015; Allocate adequate portion of the health budget to traditional healthcare systems also;
4. Provide a minimum of 2000 balanced calories per day to all Indian citizens and take all necessary measures to ensure this;
5. In compliance with the Supreme Court directive ensure quality and universal service provision in anganvadis to all girl children, women and all those in the age group 0-6 years.
6. Provide pregnant and lactating women daily financial support equivalent to the daily minimum wage for a period of six months (three months before and after child birth);
7. Provide emergency interest free loans to all citizens for meeting non-health related expenditures during illness;
8. Enact a Rational Drug Policy that allows the sale of only generic drugs and also limit the patent holding rights on all drugs to a maximum of five years;
9. Cancel the licenses of all industries causing pollution and recover full damages to the affected people as also to the environment;
10. Protect the basic human rights of all citizens guaranteed in the Indian Constitution and prevent violation of these rights by both state and non-state agencies, including in times of natural or man-made disasters;
Jharkhand specific demands are: Start nutrition rehabilitation centers for malnourished children; Enact a Nursing Home Regulation Act immediately; and Provide financial support equivalent to the prevailing daily minimum wage to those undergoing de-addiction therapies, for the entire period of the treatment.
The Manifesto will be presented to all political parties in India prior to the next General Elections. Dr Hasan Raza and Satya Siva Raman led the workshop.