Health in Bihar...

When we say that economic-development contribute to good-health by improving wealth and nutrition; rich regions have greater capacity to invest in public health care and measures, then it is equally true that health improves economic development too. It is true from both ways… Better health increases productivity either by fewer days-off, due to bad health, or by increasing output. Healthy family makes other members devote less time taking care of ill ones thereby release more time for their jobs. Health also help cognitive-development and increase the learning capacity through enhanced nutrition and less disease in early childhood adding to human-capital, a vital element of economic-development. At a social-level investment in health leads to demographic changes which further contributes to economic-development. It may lead to a high ratio of workers to dependents which increases national-savings and investment which increases economic-growth. Health is defined not only in terms of physical and mental health but also by improvement in drinking water, shelter, sanitation and better livelihoods which can contribute to improve health-conditions of the mass to achieve Millennium-Development-Goals, ultimately… 

Bihar, an ancient centre of power, learning and culture, is among the one of the poorest states in INDIA. It is the third most populous state and has a population of 100 million people. Besides massive malnourished and underweight children at 55% in Bihar, against 40% for INDIA, Bihar has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates, 52 per 1,000 and 312 per 1,000, respectively against 50 and 254 for INDIA, due to improper health services in the rural areas. The number of anaemic children in the population is one third. More than 90% of the adolescent girls are deficient of iron. Bihar is among the few states where polio continues to be a threat for children’s life. Less than 5% of the women are able to breast feed their first milk (colostrums) which gives the baby immunity against many diseases and only a third are able to breast-feed their babies for the first six-months. Only one child out of four, suffering from diarrhea, receives lifesaving oral rehydration salts and zinc tablets. Bihar is one of the most vulnerable states for the spread of HIV in India due to a high level of income-seeking migration, poverty-induced trafficking of women and girls, and low awareness of HIV/AIDS. Among the major states the human-development-index in Bihar has been lowest for more than three decades.

The National Rural Health Mission is the largest public health programme of the Government if INDIA. The allocation of resources under the programme depends on health indicators and the states performing badly on those indicators are likely to get a larger share. Under the scheme 85% of the funds come from the Government of INDIA. The Government of INDIA has increased the allocation for N RHM to 73% from the year 2007-08 to the year 2013-14. But, many of the states are slow in releasing funds under NHRM and Bihar released only 48% of its total share. The NRHM is carried out through State Health Societies (SHS). To give strength to decentralize hospital management the NRHM has introduced District Health Societies (DHS) and Village Health and Sanitation. Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY) is an important improvement in NRHM and is aimed at providing financial help, cash transfer to women. While responding to the question that whether doctors visit health centres 90% people in Bihar said “no”…

The above shortcomings in health care in Bihar can be said to be the result of deficiencies in the health care system aggravated by unavailability of the required manpower and infrastructure and inability to reach the needy. The health sector in Bihar is marred by shortfall in trained professionals in the rural areas.  Shortage of required drugs and medicines, and, poor condition of equipments and facilities are among the widespread problem that distort the service delivery mechanism and quality of health-care. About one-fourth of the Bihar villages still do not have any health-care-facility within their reach even after the advance in the areas of rural infrastructure and communication. High population growth further contributes to pressure on the favorable outcomes. Lack of proper health care facilities is an issue among the people of Bihar. Health has a positive and statistically significant effect on economic growth and development. A one year improvement in life expectation contribute to a 4% increase in output which is a relatively large effect to justify investment in public-health on the account that health may increase productivity of the labor-force which has a direct relation to economic growth, our ability to produce increases…