Direct Monitoring at PATI, Community Health Center in Madhya Pradesh

Presentation bySant Kumar, SATHI

at International People's Health University course on Health and EquitySeptember 2009, Bangalore

Barwani

- One needle used to inject upto 10-15 patients

- People asked to purchase medicines from outside instead of providing them with free medicines from the CHC.

- Doctors of the CHC asking patients to come to their private clinic for consultation

Deficiencies Observed in CHC, Pati

- Doctors not coming on time to the CHC in working hours, leaving within an hour or so.

- Health staff in the CHC demanding money for service.

- Ambulance not given to the people in case of emergencies

Repeated protests to improve health services in the Pati had yielded minimum results. People decided to organize ‘direct monitoring’. Main actors involved were

‘Direct Monitoring’ of Services in Pati Block CHC

Villagers

Jagrut Adivasi Dalit SanghtanVillage Health Committees

Technical Support by

SATHI-Nodal NGO

Collaborative efforts of these actor help strengthen the programme

Direct Monitoring involved 50-200 persons camping in theCHC premises continuously forfour days (19th to 22nd May,2008).

How was Direct Monitoring Done?

People’s direct monitoring

Groups of villagers directly observed

Services along with VHC membersand ASHAs present

Doctors were present outside who rechecked

patients who went to the CHC

People wereprovided

information about health rights

Villagers had direct dialogue with

doctors of CHC regarding

poor services offered

Villagers divided themselves into groups and observed services

If deficiencies were found, announced on mike, people went and questioned the doctors present

.

How was Direct Monitoring Done?

Doctors were present outside the CHC who examined the patients and if any mistakes were discovered they were send back to the CHC to demand rectification

How was Direct Monitoring Done?

- Health Staff demanded no charges for services offered.

- No medicines were prescribed from the stores. - Doctors stopped calling patients for private consultation to their homes.

Results of ‘Direct Monitoring’- Doctors started coming on time and

staying for the entire day.

- Ambulance services were made available to Patients for the first time.

- Separate needles began to be used fo

each patient.

When People Assert For

Their Health Rights.

Struggle continued at District Hospital, BARWANI…………….

- On 27th May 08, around thousand people demonstrated outside the District Hospital, to demand the improvement in Health Services.

Struggle for Right to Health Care has not stopped here….It continues ……………