A two-day workshop on “Community Health” was held under the aegis of United Milli Forum, Jharkhand (UMF) at Al Manar Campus, Ranchi on February 15 and 16. The UMF is a political forum which has been making considerable intervention in politics for the last five years. In February it took out “Insaf-o-Muhabbat Caravan” led by Dr. Hasan Raza, convener UMF and Ameer e Halqa of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Jharkhand, touching 50 spots in the State.
The workshop was with the orientation to discuss politics of health. The programme was organised 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 programmes in community health/public health work for youth.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Shamim Hyder of Ranchi Institute of Medical Sciences. Different papers were presented in the workshop like Overview of Health Care Situation in India, Analysis of Health Care Situation of Jharkhand, Public Health Work of Dr Binayak Sen, Role of Spirituality in Community Health, Right to Health Care by V Srinivasan, Dr Suranjan, Dr Prabir Chatterjee and Arshad Ajmal respectively.
A medical camp was organised in Islampur slum in the city. Dr Niranjan, Dr Siddeeqi and Dr Saiju Hameed led the camp. Hundreds of slum dwellers benefited from the camp. The organisers hope that the medical camp will open a permanent entry into the area for community health awareness.
A documentary film The Iron is hot by Meghnath was screened during the programme. 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 programmes.
Apart from UMF members, various civil society groups in Jharkhand, representatives from West Bengal and Bihar participated in the workshop. Representatives of Ethical Medical Forum and Solidarity Youth Movement of Kerala were also present.
A 10-point Manifesto for a Healthy India was adopted in the workshop:
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 privatisation of healthcare and abdication of the state’s responsibility for health of citizens in the country;
3. Raise budget allocation for health to 5 per cent of GDP by 2012 and to 10 per cent of GDP by 2015; Allocate adequate portion of the health budget to traditional healthcare systems also;
4. Provide a minimum of 2000 balanced calories a 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 with 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 for 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 licences 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 included opening nutrition rehabilitation centers for malnourished children, enacting a Nursing Home Regulation Act immediately; and providing 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 Saty Siva Raman led the workshop.