Assam govt hospitals better equipped but failing to deliver, says health survey

Better equipped with medical apparatus but struggling to provide best Services with quality and accountability, revealed the outcomes of the Swasthya Sewa Utsav assessment forAssams government hospitals, declared at a conclave.

The assessment has brought to Light best results in the criterion of availability of medical equipment, where 74% of the healthcare facilities (913 out of 1241) have scored A Grade. But less than 10% of healthcare facilities could achieve AGradein assessment of human resource (1%), diagnostics (2.2%) and services (8%).

Lack of adequate diagnostic facilities remains the biggest concern as the highest 87.7% of the facilities scored the lowest C Grade in the Diagnostics category. C Grade facilities have been higher in quality (68%) and human resource (74%) assessments.

According to the final assessment, out of the total 1,245 Health facilities, only 153 (12%) scored Grade A, 607 (49%) scored Grade B and 485 (39%) scored Grade C. Facilities scored more than 70% are considered as Grade A while facilities scored between 50% to 69% are graded as Grade B and facilities scored less than 50% are graded as Grade C.

Out of the total 21 district hospitals (DHs), 14 (67%) scored Grade A, while 6 (29%) scored Grade B and 1 (5%) scored Grade C on all parameters based on external assessment. But the Percentage of A Grade facilities has gone down as the assessment went to the lower-lever healthcare facilities.

Among sub-divisional hospitals (SDHs), only one (6%) has scored Grade A, 13 (81%) scored Grade B and 2 (13%) managed to get Grade C out of the total 16 sub-divisional hospitals.

Out of the total 208 community health centres (CHCs), 46 (22%) have got Grade A, while 118 (57% ) scored Grade B and 44 (21%) scored Grade C. Among primary health centres (PHCs), 92 (9%) scored Grade A, 470 (47%) scored Grade B and 438 (44%) got Grade C out of total 1,000 PHCs, the report said.

Of the 1,245 facilities assessed, only 11% got A Grade, while 43% got B Grade and 46% got C Grade in Indian Public Health Standards category. In district-wise grading of health facilities on all parameters, Cachar had the highest 52% A Grade healthcare facilities, followed byNalbari(39%) andMorigaon(27% ).