Lauds deserving projects in the public healthcare space which have paved the path for reforms in the current public health scenario
Honouring public healthcare champions is a tradition at Healthcare Sabha. This year too, Express Public Health Awards were given to some very deserving projects across the country to acknowledge their efforts towards India’s public healthcare system.
The awards nite began with a Welcome Address by Viveka Roychowdhury who welcomed the delegates and explained the vision and mission of Express Public Health Awards. She introduced the esteemed jury and thanked them for their contribution in helping choose the most deserving winners.
Roychowdhury gave a prelude to ‘Be The Change’ movement, an endeavour to encourage and motivate public health professionals to believe in themselves and do their bit towards driving public health reforms.
Next, Dr Prabhakaran, VP (Research & Policy), PHFI and the Chairperson of the jury for Express Public Health Awards took the stage to explain the methodology of the awards. Lauding Express Healthcare for this initiative, he explained the need to encourage good work in the sphere of public health. He went on to highlight various challenges in India’s public health and the need for effective strategies to mitigate them.
His address was followed by the awards ceremony. Eight awards in six categories and one special recognition were given away to public health champions across India.
The winners of Express Public Health Awards were as follows:
Category 1: Innovation in Increasing Affordable Access to Quality Medicines, Vaccines, Medical Products and Technology by a State Government
Winner: Government of Haryana for their new innovative system called Online Drug Inventory and Supply Chain Management System (ODISCM) to monitor various government-sponsored health programmes.
Category 2: Most Effective Health Technology Systems by a State Government
Winner: Government of Odisha for providing three main aspects of primary healthcare in a brick and mortar dispensary within 45 minutes and offering consultancy with empanelled certified doctors through video conferencing.
Category 3: The Most Efficiently Run Health Programme by a State Government
Winner 1: Government of Manipur for their Chief Minister-gi Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT) project under which eligible households are given a CMHT health card to avail cashless treatment. It provides medical cover up to Rs 2 lakhs per family per year for seven critical diseases and upto Rs 50,000 for general ailments.
Winner 2: Government of Kerala for their programme called Hridyam for Little Hearts that provides free access to healthcare for complicated paediatric cardiac surgery for newborn and children.
Category 4: Most effective PPP
Winner 1: Ziqitza Healthcare for multiple initiatives aiming to offer counselling and promote awareness and a noteworthy PPP in healthcare infrastructure.
Winner 2: National Health Mission, Chhattisgarh for their efforts towards improving procurement services, supply chain and infrastructure development in two difficult districts of the state.
Category 5: Innovative Models of Financing Public Healthcare by a State Government
Winner: Government of Chhattisgarh for making an alternate energy choice by opting for solar power plants and installed solar photovoltaic power plants across the state.
Category 6: Most Effective Healthcare NGO
Winner: Jan Chetna Manch, Bokaro, Jharkhand for providing quality care during pregnancy and childbirth for poor women, by training local women to provide healthcare in areas which have intermittent access to qualified medical professionals.
Special Recognition
Govt Tribal Speciality Hospital, Kottathara, Attappady, Palakkad, Kerala as a commendable attempt to provide quality treatment services as a first referral unit, completely free of cost in backward, tribal areas.
The awards ceremony ended with a high note and a renewed commitment towards public health reform.