In a significant push to enhance community healthcare access, the National Health Mission (NHM) recently concluded a series of large-scale health fairs across the state, recording a massive turnout and delivering a wide array of essential medical services directly to people's doorsteps.
Widespread Reach and Key Health Interventions
The five-day event, held under the theme ‘Healthy Society – A Step Towards a Strong Future’, took place from January 5 to January 10 at community and primary health centres in all 264 blocks of the state. The initiative witnessed an impressive total footfall of 2,05,659 individuals, underscoring the community's need for accessible healthcare.
A major focus was on child and maternal health. Medical teams screened 2,086 children for anaemia and another 499 for pneumonia. Furthermore, 1,165 children received vaccinations against various preventable diseases. For expecting mothers, 8,987 pregnant women availed themselves of crucial antenatal care (ANC) check-ups during the fairs.
Digital Integration and Specialized Care
The fairs seamlessly blended physical services with digital health tools, marking a step forward in healthcare delivery. A standout feature was the 14,049 tele-consultations conducted via the e-Sanjeevani platform, bridging the gap for specialist advice in remote areas. On the digital front, the camps facilitated the creation of 21,997 ABHA Health IDs and issued 5,632 PMJAY/CMIAY health cards on-site, promoting the government's digital health mission.
The scope of services was extensive, addressing both preventive and diagnostic needs:
- 10,998 blood pressure check-ups were conducted.
- 3,370 individuals received dental treatments.
- 3,658 people underwent cancer screening.
- 7,230 blood tests were carried out.
- Family planning counselling was provided to 6,145 people.
Additional services included eye check-ups, free distribution of spectacles, blood donation camps, sickle cell anaemia screening, and information dissemination about AYUSH systems of medicine. Claims-related assistance for health schemes was also offered.
Community Impact and Official Response
For residents like Anima Tirkey from Madhukum, the block-level fair was a boon. "For people like us, visiting big hospitals means losing a day’s wage and spending heavily on travel," she said. "The health fair brought doctors, medicines, and tests to our doorstep. I went for an eye check-up."
Commenting on the well-organized outreach, National Health Mission director Shashi Prakash Jha stated, “The fairs were organised in a planned manner, keeping in view local socio-cultural conditions, disease prevalence, and available health infrastructure, so that maximum benefit could reach the community.” The initiative demonstrates a concerted effort to strengthen India's public health framework at the grassroots level.
