IMPHAL, February 27: A one day consultation programme on Expanding Access to Reproductive Rights: Using Law to Guarantee Reproductive & Sexual Health and Rights was held today at the Institute of Co-operative Management organized by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN).
Speaking on the topic ‘Legal Intervention made by HRLN (Manipur) for enforcement of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) in, Primary Health Centers (PHCs), Community Health Centers (CHCs) and District Hospitals in Manipur’, HRLN member Lourembam Rabika Chanu said most health centres in the State fail to properly follow the IPHS guidelines.
The HRLN had observed this following a survey conducted by the network in 2015 of certain PHCs, CHCs and district hospitals in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Tamei, she said.
It is unfortunate that the health care centres have failed to properly adopt the IPHS guidelines, she said, adding that the centres have failed to provide the needed equipment, infrastructures needed to ensure proper medical service is provided to the people.
She highlighted that the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for Sub-centers, Primary Health Centers (PHCs), Community Health Centers (CHCs), Sub-District and District Hospitals was published in 2007 and ever since then used as the reference point for public health care infrastructure planning and up-gradation.
IPHS is a set of uniform standard envisaged to improve the quality of health care delivery in the country, she added.
These IPHS guidelines will act as the main driver for continuous improvement in quality and serve as the bench mark for assessing the functional status of health facilities, she said.