'Himachal's health system needs manpower'

Himachal Pradesh's health system has gaps in its internal system and human resource that need to be filled in a planned manner, a top functionary of the newly-constituted state health commission said Thursday.

Lauding the state for its success in maternal child health, immunization coverage and institutional births, commission chairperson M.K. Bhan told reporters here that standardisation of treatment and cost are a big challenge in the state.

"We need to improve the preventive side and clinical abilities for chronic diseases, trauma and emergency care. The district and sub-district hospitals should have updated facilities and staff," Bhan, a former secretary of department of biotechnology of the government of India, said.

"The infant mortality rate in the state is over 30 and this could be brought down to 15 in next few years," he said.

He said ASHA workers could be used meaningfully for keeping surveillance on the newborns after the mother and child are discharged from the hospital.

"The new mothers could be taught in childcare by ASHA workers. It would be a major initiative in the next two-three years."

The nine-member Himachal Pradesh Health Commission, constituted for the first time, was here on a two-day visit to review health services and to draw a roadmap for the next few years.