Though Jharkhand’s initial health status indicators could be termed poor compared to other states, its steady progress in nearly all priority health service indicators is impressive, says a World Bank report.
The report- Jharkhand Addressing the Challenge of Inclusive Development–states that notwithstanding the adverse beginning the coverage of reproductive child health (RCH) related services improved during the period 1999-2003.
While the proportion of safe deliveries increased by 9.7 per cent, proportion of institutional deliveries by 7.2 per cent and proportion of pregnant women receiving at least one ante-natal care check up by 14.4 percent, says the report.
Stating that there was an impressive progress in child vaccination, the report praises the “catch up rounds” introduced since 2002-03 had led to a dramatic improvement in child immunisation, vitamin ‘A’ and iron suplementation.
The immunization coverage, it adds, was now almost 50 per cent compared to the nine percent in 1998/99, a rapid rise recorded in the country for a five-year period.
Happy at the positive remarks in the report Health Minister Bhanu Pratap Sahi says that his department would accelerate all priority areas.
“I have asked all concerned to pursue the department’s priorities,” Sahi recently said during a visit to Dumka, the second capital city of Jharkhand.