Women’s health, and particularly their related issues on healthiness, matters. There is a greater need to understand her well-being as it is closely tied to the health of families as well. Even the World Health Organization cited “the health of women and girls as of particular concern since in many societies they are disadvantaged owing to reasons rooted in socio-cultural factors”. So, why should women and girls be deprived of quality health care services that are vital for them, was the plausible explanation given by the Chhattisgarh government that launched ‘Dai-Didi (Mother-Sister) Clinic’ exclusively for women and girls.
The unique health scheme ‘Dai-Didi Clinic’ was launched on 19 November 2020. The all-women clinic with only female doctor-paramedical staff became operational through a special mobile medical unit (MMU) facility across the slums and other localities in the urban areas.
The ongoing functioning of value-added mobile clinics in the municipal limits of Raipur, Bilaspur and Bhilai have witnessed encouraging responses from the beneficiaries prompting the state government to come up with a proposal to extend the facility to eight other cities—Mandir Hasaud, Durg, Risali Patan, Rajnandgaon, Raigarh, Jagdalpur, Ambikapur and Korba in the coming months.
“The special mobile medical facility as a significant programme under the Mukhyamantri Shahri Slum Swashtya Yojana has expanded the coverage of essential health services for the needy people, as Chhattisgarh has scaled-up its endeavour to achieve health for all. Dai-Didi clinic is yet another initiative towards women empowerment in the state”, said Bhupesh Baghel, chief minister.
The services of each mobile unit also cover preventive care and screening systems on women’s health. The clinic has provisions of offering all primary health care facilities besides the treatment and diagnosis of diseases related to women’s health.
There are stories on how women felt contented and relieved accessing the welfare services as their ‘Right to Health’. Ever since the scheme was launched, over 1.20 lakh women and 19,500 girls have benefited from it, most of them in the urban slum areas. The laboratory tests for over one lakh patients were conducted and the medicines given to 1,12,380 women—all services without the beneficiary incurring any cost.
Basanta Dhivar, 65, one of the beneficiaries, said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the scheme emerged as a boon for residents in her locality at Kota in Raipur. “The health care providers empathised with women patients and their team work in MMU helped in securing better health services in our location”, said Rajni Bagh, in Bhilai. The 170 essential medicines approved for the government primary health centre are compulsory available in every MMU. The medicines available for patients are procured by the government from the reputed 30 pharmaceutical companies.
Every MMU is also linked to Dhanwantari medical stores where high-quality generic medicines from the Pharma industries are available. As many as 48 different types of medical diagnostic tests are done in each MMU. Doctor’s consultation, lab testing and medicines are provided free of cost.
“Chhattisgarh has floated a successful model that takes healthcare services at the doorstep of the needy, poor and others. The present practice is superior to constructing primary health centers and recruiting health professionals for every mohalla that would have caused investment of huge funds besides a time taking process”, said Aijaz Dhebar, Mayor, Raipur Municipal Corporation.
The story has been extracted from: https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2022/dec/04/chhattisgarhs-dai-didi-clinic-an-all-female–staff-is-run-exclusively-for-women-2524800.html
