head of KSCPCR spoke about the importance of paying particular attention to child safety issues and also shared the letter she had sent to Mr. Yoonus Khan Chairman of the EGOM. Whereas Mr. S Ashok Kumar Shetty, the General Secretary of the Karnataka chapter of the Red Cross spoke on post crash issues and importance of spreading awareness among children and youth. Dr. Pragati Hebbar, Advocacy Officer, IPH moderated the discussion and spoke from a public health perspective giving the data on Karnataka and Bengaluru specific statistics.
01. The Times of India,Make stronger laws for road safety, child rights and health experts urge govt
02. Deccan Herald
Health experts want law to reduce road accidents03. DNA
Bengaluru: Child rights and health experts want strong road safety law04. The Times of IndiaChild safety should be focus of National transport policy: KSCPCR05. The New Indian ExpressChild Rights panel for strict road safety regulations06. B First(Online)link: http://www.bfirst.in/article/bengaluru/7841/child- rights-activists-demand- stringent-road-safety-law 07. Pocket News Alert(Online)
IPH, Urban Health Team is working since last six years to improve quality of care for the residents of KG Halli, ward number 30. We have conducted baseline census in 2009 and follow up survey in 2013. The findings from this study and the challenges faced by the poor people in the community to manage chronic disease (Diabetes, HYpertension, etc.,) is featured in the news paper article.
Yasmin (45), who lives in a crowded colony in Kadugondanahalli (K.G. Halli), had to have her leg amputated due to uncontrolled diabetes. The reason: she was not regular with medicines for years due to ignorance about the possible complications that could arise.
Her neighbour Husseinbi (60) has been suffering from hypertension for 12 years. She spends anywhere between Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 every month on medicines. Her husband is an auto driver.
For people from low-income families suffering diseases like hypertension and diabetes, a major component of their income goes to buying medicines. A study by the Institute of Public Health (IPH), Bengaluru, shows that many choose to forgo treatment, going to the doctor only when complications arise. The study has been published in BMC Public Health, an open access peer-reviewed journal. It covered patients in K.G. Halli from 2009 to 2015.
To read more about this article : Click here
On 20th APril, 2016, IPH in collaboration with Sarvagna Health Care Institute and San Engineering Locomotive Ltd, conducted screening for diabetes and hypertension at Parijatha School, BM Layout, KG Halli.
The art of data collection in health system research: Lessons learned from the field.Data collection is the most important aspect any research endeavour. Poor quality of the data will have impact on the results of the research study.Therefore it is vital for the researchers to adopt appropriate data collection methods to ensure quality data.Here is a blog by Meena Putturaj which highlights the practicalities of data collection in health systems research based on the field experiences.
Data collection is a crucial aspect of any research project. Depending on the nature and scope of the research question, collecting quality data requires considerable investment of time and resources. Indeed, any research endeavour is handicapped without the relevant data.
During a recent health systems research project, I had to collect a lot of information from government agencies, which turned out to be no cake walk. There were occasions when I had to wait for hours at a time to collect documents, to meet officials, and to conduct interviews. Those waiting periods gave me sufficient time to observe and reflect on the functioning of some of the government agencies in India.
Health systems research often requires data from, and cooperation by, the state sector authorities. So, as a rule of thumb, the health systems researchers work closely with government officials and will require data from them, the interpretation of which might reflect negatively upon those state sector authorities. This can, I think, make some officials and other employees feel that they are being cross examined or interrogated when researchers go to collect data from them. The various situations that I’ve been in while collecting data from government officials have enabled me to develop skills to deal with this tension and the struggle of getting relevant data. The following strategies have worked well for me while trying to obtain data:
To read more about “The art of data collection in health system research” : Click here
This paper demonstrates the meagre involvement of private practitioners in the Indian National TB Program, even after ffifteen years after the starting the Public Private Mix in the National TB control programme.
SETTING: Tumkur District, South India.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the participation of for-profit, formal private practitioners (PPs) under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme’s (RNTCP’s) public-private mix (PPM) schemes and document their contribution to RNTCP pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) case finding.
DESIGN: RNTCP reports at district TB centre were reviewed. PPs were mapped and their referrals of presumptive TB cases to the RNTCP during 2011 were assessed using laboratory registers at designated microscopy centres (DMCs).
RESULTS: None of the 424 PPs had signed up for any PPM scheme. However, 22% made at least one referral to a DMC in 2011. PP referrals constituted 15% of the presumptive TB cases examined at the DMCs, and PPs contributed to 23% of the sputum smear-positive TB cases detected. Among PP referrals, the proportion of confirmed smear-positive cases was high (24%).
CONCLUSION: Fifteen years after the start of PPM, formal engagement of PPs with RNTCP was non-existent. However, PPs do refer cases to the RNTCP and contribute to a fraction of TB case detection. The high proportion of confirmed sputum smear-positive cases suggests that PPs tend to make selective referrals. More efforts are needed to promote the engagement of PPs in the RNTCP.
To know more about PhD article titled, ” Private practitioners’ contributions to the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme in a South Indian district” Click here
