COMMUNITY ACTION FOR HEALTH ( Community Monitoring ) MEGHALAYA

Community Monitoring started in the State of Meghalaya with the constitution of a State Advisory Group on Community Action (SAGCA) on March  State Level: State Advisory Group on Community Action Cum State Monitoring & Planning Committee (SAGCA)/ State Mentoring Team, State Nodal Officer, State Nodal NGO (VHAM) is in place.  District Level: District Monitoring & Planning Committee Cum District Mentoring Team, District Nodal Officer incharge on Community Monitoring, District cum Block Nodal NGO is in place.  PHC level: PHC Monitoring & Planning Committee is in place.  Village Level: Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee is in place.

Area of Implementation.  Jaintia Hills District: NGO: Mih Myntdu Community Welfare Association No of Blocks: 3 Number of PHC: 9, Number of Villages: 45  East Khasi Hills District: NGO: Grassroot No of Blocks: 3, Number of PHC: 9, Number of Villages: 45 Status of Jaintia Hill District and East Khasi Hills District.  Orientation & re-orientation of (DMPC) District Monitoring and Planning Committee Cum District Mentoring Team at the district level by DMHO and District Nodal NGO completed.  Orientation & re-orientation of the (PHC MPC) PHC Monitoring and Planning Committee at the block level, VHSNC Cum Monitoring and Planning Committee at the village level by the District Nodal NGO completed.  Review meetings in all levels is in progress.  Data collection on Maternal Health Guarantees, JSY, Child Health, Disease Surveillance, Curative Services, United funds, Quality of Care, Community perceptions of ASHA, ASHA functioning are also being done.

 Public meeting and consultation is almost completed.  Jan Samvad was conducted in 6 Blocks i.e Jaintia Hills District-Thadlaskein Block, Laskein Block, Khliehriat Block. East Khasi Hills District- Laitkroh Block, Shella Bhollaganj Block and Mawryngkneng Block. West Garo Hills District: NGO:BAKDIL No of Blocks: 3, Number of PHC: 9, Number of Villages: 45 Status of West Garo Hills District.  BAKDIL is selected to facilitate the whole programme in this district and they started their activities only on January  Workshop cum orientation at the district level is completed.  Six month data collection is completed by the new NGO i.e. Bakdil. Experiences from Jan Samvad.  Jan Samvad has enable people to voice their concern on health matters of the community.  Issues regarding the issuing of birth certificate to the inhabited areas were also taken up by the Additional Deputy Commissioner.  Certain health centres were not functioning as required and the DMHO concerned has been informed to address this issue.

Challenges.  Presence of good NGOs – Attrition rate of staff in the NGO is high.  The VHSNC members are not aware of their roles e.g. record keeping, etc.  Low participation of male members.  Coordination and partnership with other line departments. Current Year Plan.  State Level consultation to be organized for the SAGCA and State Nodal Officer and other Stakeholders like SNGOs and DNGOs.  More importance will be given in capacity building of the VHSNC members.  IEC campaign across the State by involving the local folk troupe.  The state will be conducting convergence meetings with other departments.  Sensitization to the media on community monitoring programme.  NGOs to take full responsibility to empower VHSNC.

Future Plan  Scaling up- Three Year Plan  Few blocks in all the districts –  Scale it up to cover all the villages in the states

Support from AGCA  Technical support for preparing long term plan (Three Years)  State Level consultation to be organized for the SAGCA and State Nodal Officer and other Stakeholders like SNGOs and DNGOs.  To provide resource materials in implementing programme

Issues:  VHSNC training not approved so it is put up in the supplementary plan.  The approved budget for Community Monitoring is Rs lakhs out of the plan budget ie Rs crores, so scaling up in all the district is not feasible.

Thank You