Government seeks participation of NGOs in “Kayakalp” and other initiatives of Health Ministry
J P Nadda, Minister for Health and Family Welfare met representatives from some prominent NGOs in the health sector to seek their participation in ‘Kayakalp’, an initiative of the Health Ministry to encourage public health facilities in the country to work towards standards of excellence to help the facilities stay clean and hygienic. Addressing the representatives, the Health Minister stated that public health facilities will be awarded under the initiative on various parameters of sanitation, hygiene and cleanliness. The scheme also includes development and instating of systems and procedures for activities such as bio-waste management, quality assurance of services etc. The initiative towards total “Swacchta” in public health facilities is aimed towards building confidence of the users in public health facilities, provide quality service and encourage team work, he said. Adding that he views the NGOs as ‘active partners of the Ministry’, he stated that he looks forward to their participation to also provide feedback on the schemes being implemented by the Ministry to enable course correction and value addition in the services.
The Health Minister invited the NGOs to adopt any ward, area section or premise or any part of the activities within the three hospitals under the Central Government, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Dr. RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, to begin with. The NGOs can innovate in terms of improving cleanliness in the wards, premises and toilets; provisioning of amenities such as water cooler, fans, etc.; livening up children’s wards with wall paintings; landscaping etc. The three hospitals have been taken for the first phase, and are expected to serve as models for the states to replicate. He added that he also seeks their participation in creating awareness about promotive and preventive health and in inculcating health seeking behaviour through communication at the grassroots, the level where the NGOs work.
The NGO representatives welcomed the initiative of the Ministry and volunteered to partner not only on Kayakalp, but also on issues such as management of hospitals and PHCs in the states, advising the Ministry on better designing of health facility spaces and more effective management and services to improve client care, in addition to suggesting ways to improve the overall health sector in the country. The Minister requested them to forward concept notes and suggestions for the Ministry to go forward on to improve health services in the country.
Present at the meeting were B P Sharma, Secretary (HFW); senior officers from the Ministry along with representatives from Pariwar Sewa Sansthan, Voluntary Health Association of India, Ramakrishna Mission, HLL Lifecare Ltd., Sulabh International, Christian Medical Association of India, Mamta Health Institute for Mother & Child, Population Foundation of India, and Family Planning Association of India.
