Health, Water And Education

Good health, good education and good drinking water are the pillars for any individual’s good life. Despite of the fact without them there is no development, these fields are among the most neglected ones. Given the vast multitude of poor people health and education need to be substantially compensated which seems to have become increasingly difficult in the era of privatization. The Government is running short of health centres. The infrastructure in the form of buildings, machinery and equipment has not been able to keep pace with the times. There are shortages both in terms of quantity and quality. There are not enough of mid-wives, health assistants, lab technicians and pharmacists on the one hand and doctors and specialists on the other. These shortages severely compromise quality of health services available to the rural populace.

The picture is not very pretty in the area of education.  Many primary, upper middle, high and higher secondary schools continue to be without own buildings while existing buildings are in dilapidated condition. There are no drinking water and toilet facilities in many primary and middle schools. A high number of students are still out of the reach of schools. Children belonging to nomadic communities are the biggest sufferers on this count.

The drinking water scenario is no different. We have rivers, lakes and thousands of natural springs. Yet, there is not adequate potable water. The scarcity of water is experienced generally as the existing water supply schemes don’t meet the demand for potable water which is increasing in the towns. The pace of the work is affected because of increase in urban population due to migration from rural areas, shortfall of rains and, more importantly, the non-availability of means to store water for utilization during dry spell and the delay in the completion of plans meant for urban pockets.

Though we have come a long way during the last six decades we have not covered the entire distance. The infrastructural needs are to be satisfied of the existing health units. It envisages construction of buildings for health institutions functioning in private structures, repair, alteration and renovation jobs and purchase of machinery. The manpower shortage is being sought to be overcome by engaging doctors under the National Rural Health Mission. In education, the emphasis is being proposed to be laid on the public-private partnership and focusing attention on consolidation of existing institutions instead of expansion. It is realized that the opening or more and more establishments without infrastructure and logistic support can become counter-productive. Education system is the beneficiary of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, an idea of the Central Government that transfers a part of our income-tax contributions for making masses literate. Private players have extended assistance but not with the best intentions of serving a noble cause. It will be too much to expect the Government to earn profits from health, education or drinking water. For it, these remain the social objectives yet to be achieved for ameliorating the lot of the common man.