Patna,(BiharTimes): “Health is at the centre of development, if women are healthy, the future will be healthy”. The lawmakers have a big role to play in prioritizing the development agenda and championing critical issues for the marginalized Vijay said Kumar Chaudhary, Speaker of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha, while addressing a round table conference by the Centre for Catalyzing Change (formerly CEDPA India) and Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) here on Tuesday. .
A host of politicians and media persons had participated in the deliberation. Chaudhary also asked lawmakers to keep in touch with social activists and media for effective policy making and its implementations.
Ranju Geeta, MLA from Bajpatti, said, “If the MLA takes charge then they can bring change. Health is an integral part and linked to the goals enshrined in the Saat Nishchay”. She shared how her efforts that have resulted in the building of CHCs in her constituency blocks.
BJP MLC, Kiran Ghai, urged for more discussion and focus in the floor of the State Assembly on health and social issues and she urged her peers to ask more questions on health infrastructure, quality of care and convergence in order to strengthen
Arun Kumar, MLA, from Kumhrar said, “MLAs need to rise above political alignments and make improvement in health outcomes a priority because without health there is no development.”
Aparajita Gogoi, Director, Centre for Catalyzing Change said, “the focus of the roundtable was to support the strengthening of health interventions for women’s reproductive health and look at ways of ensuring quality of care, which include timeliness, respectful care and availability of skilled professionals, equipment and medicines.”
Shaibal Gupta, Member Secretary ADRI said, “it is important for key influencers like MLAs, civil society and media to collectively focus on strategies in order to prioritize women’s reproductive health and child health as part of the policy agenda as well as a key public concern.”
“Due to huge out of pocket expenditure about 2 percent people of our country fall below povert line everyyear” disclosed health activist Shakeel and asked for enhancing public expenditure in health sector as per capita health expenditure in Bihar is far below than national average.
Other speakers included Smt Gayatri Devi, MLA, Parihar, Prof. P.P. Ghosh, Nivedita Jha, Shakil Ur Rahman, and Tilak Raj Gauri. Several leading media persons spoke about the need for a positive engagement among media, political leadership and civil society to push for the health agenda.
Senior journalists like Nivedita, S A Shad and Pushpraj highlighted the role of media in social sector especially health and explored the possibilities for joining hands together for effective delivery system even at the lowest level.
