The Scheme:
The tea community is one of the marginalized and socially excluded groups in Assam. They remain unnerved in terms of basic health care facilities adding to high diseases burden and mortality rate.To address the issue National Health Mission (NHM), Assam has executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tea Garden Hospitals under Public Private Partnership (PPP) with a purpose to be made available of the health care services to all the employees of the tea gardens and its adjoining areas. The scheme was launched in the year 2007-08 in Assam. Initially a total of 50 numbers of tea garden hospitals were brought under the umbrella of NHM, Assam and gradually the remaining tea estates.At present it is being implemented by 150 numbers of tea garden hospitals of which 15 number belongs to Cachar, Dibrugarh-37,Golaghat-12, Jorhat-9, Lakhimpur-8, Morigaon-1, Nagaon-7, Sivasagar-16, Sonitpur-21, Tinsukia-17 and Udalguri-7.
The focused areas of the scheme are-
1. To provide maternal and child health care,
2. Emergency services,
3. Referral services,
4.Taken care of communicable and non-communicable diseases and
5.Developing of existing infrastructure in the tea garden hospitals.
The scheme funds for salary/incentive of doctors and paramedics engaged in tea garden hospitals. The financial assistance has also been beneficial in renovating existing hospital infrastructure, for purchase of equipments, augmentation of hospital and to improve service delivery. Medicines are being provided free of cost to these tea garden hospitals. An Ambulance was also given to each tea garden hospital of PPP mode for referral service purpose.
Guidelines
Operational:
An agreement has been signed between the District Health Society and the Tea Garden Hospital Management Society to initiate the scheme. As per the MoU, the tea garden hospital would adhere to the schematic guidelines and norms as cited by National Health Mission, Assam.
Financial:
Presently an amount of Rs.7.5 lakh was allocated to each tea garden hospital as central assistance under PPP. As per norms the fund is released in two installments.1st installment in signing of MoU and 2nd installment is being released after submitting UC and SoE of 1st installment.
Reporting:
The Tea garden hospitals are required to send monthly reports on physical progress on key deliverables and financial achievements in a format prescribed, NHM, Assam.
Conclusion:
Inclusion of tea gardens hospitals under PPP with NHM, Assam highlights the intention of the Govt. of Assam to offer better health care and medical facilities to the workers and non-workers of tea gardens and its adjoining areas. Presently 150 (Year: 2015-16) nos of tea gardens are covered under PPP. NHM, Assam is aiming to cover more numbers of tea garden hospitals in near future.
