Ramthar Veng, Aizawl, Mizoram – 796001 Bishop’s House, P. Box – 45, Ramthar Veng, Aizawl, Mizoram – 796001 Ph: 0389 – 2302166 Email: zepaizawl@gmail.com/zepaizawl@rediffmail.com

COMMUNITY ACTION FOR HEALTH Covered area: Serchhip District On Pilot Phase: 2 PHCs with 12 VHSNCs No. of PHCs: 6 No. of VHSNCs: 44

MAIN OBECTIVES Increasing the community involvement and participation to improve responsive functioning of the public health system. Providing regular and systematic information about the community needs which will be used to guide planning process appropriately. Providing feedback on status of fulfilment of entitlement, functioning of various levels of public health system and service providers, identifying gaps, deficiency in services and level of community satisfaction.

TRAINING TO VHSNC MEMBERS The norms of the formed committee in each Village and how far they are functional. The ignorance about the Health Care, Health Care Schemes and other Schemes available Responsible department who could listen and solve their crisis The need to resettle the post of committee members. Untied fund and Health Sanitation & Nutrition fund. Awareness program based on Health and Health issues. Reports of their Village status and Community participation Demand for LLIN and distribution of mosquito nets. Waste disposal

Training to VHSNC…….. The utilization of AMBULANCE Vaccination , Nutrition day and ANC Public drinking water , urinal and toilet in the Village and PHC The maintenance of the public urinal and toilet How Nutrition supply is being handled The use of polythene. High expectations from the department. Demand for effective tools and training to monitor and solve the gaps.

VHSNC ACTIVITIES Poster on effect of tobacco Regular VHSNC meetings HIV screening Organized by VHSNCE

Medicating Mosquito Nets Meeting of VHSNC to demand for doctor at the PHC Campaign on Anti-Tobacco and smoking

TRAINING ON MONITORING

FIELD VISIT BY AGCA TEAM

REVIEW MEETING WITH STATE & AGCA TEAM

Following issue were raised… The involvement of the district NHM office in the implementation of the community action for health is important for the effective strengthening of the VHSNC, RKS and ASHA. Need for orientating the district NHM teams and the CBOs A meeting of the State Mentoring Group on community action is important to ensure multi sectoral approach to addressing the issues Need to strengthen the ASHA support structure by ensuring regular monthly meetings. Need to re-designate District ASHA Coordinators as District Community Mobilisers and ASHA mobilisers as Community mobilisers and re-issue their ToRs to reiterate their role and responsibilities regarding VHSNCs, RKS and community action for health.  

The need to orient the Village Council on health issues and their responsibilities, especially in CAH. Creating awareness on the health entitlements and Government schemes among the community members Need to leverage the resources from other stakeholder departments to address issues coming up in the VHSNC meetings at the ground level.  Rogi Kalyan Samitis are not meeting on regular basis. There is a need to streamline the functioning of the RKS in the health institutions as part of community participation.

Present Scenario: SUCCESS STORIES Presently the VHSNCs are active and committed, Committee meetings are conducted regularly. Control of animals within the village. Fine is collected from those whose animal is found roaming in the street. Cleanliness of the village, public cleanliness day is done to maintain good hygiene and prevention of stagnation of water to prevent from malaria. To provide toilet facility to the poor by building toilets with voluntary manual work. Demand for MO in PHC in place of previous doctor who is on study leave for two years. VHND is observed every month. VHSNC collaborates with Anganwadi and ASHAs on VHND and gives talk on HIV, Hygiene and MCH etc. They also make surprise visits to PHC, Sub-Centres and Aganwadi Centres for monitoring purpose.

To make and build up a proper place of waste disposal in the outskirt of the village, request is done to different departments and now finally to Chief Minister. It is on the process. Public field is cleaned voluntarily. In some villages the amount collected as fine for the control of animals is used on VHND to provide refreshment for the participants. VHSNC wants RKS committee to function properly. Hmuntha village is made free from malaria since last few years. VHSNC took initiative to make the PHC function properly with proper Equipments for emergency use like X-ray Machine. VHSNC Members pressurized the Department to remove the Lab Technician from one of the PHCs as he was not regular for his duty.

When they got complain about drug store who sell medicines more than the retail price, VHSNC took action by giving warning the drug store keeper in writing and if continued to take the issue to district drug inspector. Prepared posters on effect of tobacco products on health and distributed to village CBOs and church leaders and also on YMA day MHIP day they took chance to conduct campaign on effect of tobacco, as they are aware of rapid spread of cancer in Mizoram from our program. The Sub center staff approached VHSNC asking for Gas cylinder in the sub centre. The committee approached CMO giving in writing to provide proper facility and Gas cylinder. It was granted to them.

THANK YOU