The Directorate of Public Health has saved Tamil Nadu polio-free for the final 18 years and brought main healthcare to individuals
The Directorate of Public Health has saved Tamil Nadu polio-free for the final 18 years and brought main healthcare to individuals
From conserving Tamil Nadu poliofree for the final 18 years to managing seasonal outbreaks of vector-borne ailments, taking main healthcare to individuals to making sure immunisation of youngsters and tackling newly rising challenges together with the COVID-19 pandemic, Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has come a great distance in its journey of 100 years.
In reality, 2022 is a big yr for the DPH. It was a century in the past in 1922 that Sanitation and Public Health turned a transferred topic below the management of the Minister in command of the Local Self-Government Department. The title of Sanitary Commissioner of the Madras Presidency was modified to Director of Public Health and the Sanitary Department was known as the Public Health Department. Nevertheless, the Sanitary Department had its origin in 1864, in accordance with data out there on the State Public Health Library.
An necessary milestone within the historical past of the DPH is the passing of the Madras Public Health Act in 1939, now known as the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act. Until then, statutory provisions regarding public well being administration had been imprecise, unsatisfactory and embodied in a couple of Act. The want for a compact public well being Act embodying all necessary public well being provisions below the varied Acts was realised for environment friendly administration, in accordance with the data.
Post-independence, 450 mixed medical and public well being main centres and 25 group centres had been sanctioned for the primary quinquennium commencing in 1948. Of them, 6 main well being centres every had been opened in 1948 within the then composite districts of North Arcot and Coimbatore.
Today, the DPH gives main healthcare providers by 1,804 Primary Health Centres. The State’s 8,713 Health Sub Centres function the primary level of service supply.
With illness surveillance, prevention and management being on the centre of the DPH, it now encompasses an extended record of providers and schemes beginning with operating of main well being centres, immunisation, maternal and youngster well being, vector-borne illness management, common well being protection and epidemics. The Director of Public Health can also be the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths of the State.
“Disease prevention and control is the objective of the department. We see the health of human beings determined not only by disease-causing bacteria or viruses but the result of interaction with social, cultural and economic influences over health. Non-communicable diseases like stress, depression, hypertension and diabetes are some of the examples. Disease prevention, early diagnosis and treatment is not only cost- effective but also makes suffering less for the people,” says Director of Public Health T. S. Selvavinayagam.
“One of the reasons for creation of the public health and sanitary commission was cholera and the plague. Control and prevention of cholera, which was pandemic then, has brought the number of deaths to zero now. Though multiple factors played a role, environmental and sanitation control through the Directorate was a critical one,” he notes.
Ok. Kolandaswamy, former Director of Public Health, listed the important thing achievements of the DPH. “Tamil Nadu was well ahead of other States in the eradication of smallpox, and guinea worm disease that was prevalent in hill areas such as Yercaud and Kalvarayan Hills. Elimination of neonatal tetanus was another significant milestone.”
Among the opposite achievements is the elimination of filarisis, leprosy and cholera and plague management, and a big discount in measles. He factors out that Tamil Nadu is forward of many different States in maternal and youngster well being indicators.
“The DPH has been the parent department for many programmes. The Department of Rural Development’s sanitation programme was designed by the DPH. Similarly, drugs control, food safety and health transport were part of the DPH earlier,” he remembers.
The COVID-19 pandemic had put the State’s public well being equipment to check. “Both COVID-19 and vaccination emerged as public health challenges,” Dr. Selvavinayagam notes.
Dr. Kolandaswamy provides that the technical help and know-how of the DPH served as a pillar in COVID-19 administration.
The cadre is a key spotlight of the directorate. “Tamil Nadu’s public health directorate has an exclusive cadre. Ours is the only State to have medical graduates with public health qualification to serve full-time in the administration,” in accordance with Dr. Selvavinayagam.
The presence of public well being providers on the grass-root degree by the village well being nurses (VHN) is one other spotlight. “Each of our VHNs cover a population of 3,000 to 5,000. They reach the grass-root level and have details of the entire family register with them,” he provides.
Way forward
Looking ahead, epidemiological transition is essential. “There should be a reduction in mortality and morbidity. Along with maternal and child health, we need to move to NCD control. We need to adopt health intelligence. This huge data will play a main role in prediction and prevention of diseases. We want to get alerts on happenings, on unusual incidents. These triggers will help in surveillance and rapid responses,” he explains.
Dr. Kolandaswamy bats for extra VHNs to enhance the standard of healthcare providers. “The infectious diseases control cadre has been diluted. It should be reconstituted. Now, diabetes, hypertension and cancer are emerging as major public health problems. A separate female cadre should be created for NCD control on a par with the existing cadre involved in maternal and child health, immunisation and family welfare,” he says.
Source: www.thehindu.com
