State not in the pink of health

Ahmedabad Mirror: Ahmedabad: Monday, 23 February 2015.

Gujarat's model of development might be a thing of envy for many states, but the health index of the state shows that the government has lagged behind in social healthcare. Nationally, the state has recorded the highest number of cases in several other diseases even as swine flu seems to be the biggest health scare affecting Gujarat and a few other states right now.

Gujarat recorded the highest number of HIV, drug-resistant cholera, swine flu and oral cancer patients in 2014. It has the highest mortality rate in tuberculosis and vaccine-related cases. It also has the highest number of people who have contracted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through tainted blood transfusion. In the current outbreak of swine flu, Gujarat has registered the highest mortality rate. The infection first appeared in the state in 2009 and has since become a regular phenomenon. Shockingly, the state registered the highest number of swine flu deaths every year.

In the current spell, the state has recorded 207 deaths while the number of infection has also seen a surge there were 989 cases in 2013 but it soared to 3,017 in just 53 days of this year. However, experts say that the high figures are a result of better reporting system that the state follows. Prof Dileep Mavlankar, dean of Indian institute of Public Health at Gandhinagar, said, "As a state we have better reporting system so the numbers are high. But it doesn't mean that the state's health condition is bad."

HIV ON THE RISE

While officials talk of providing better health facilities, more and more people are dying following HIV-related complications. Between 2010 and 2013, the number of HIV patients doubled in the state and children are becoming more vulnerable to it. According to the data provided by Gujarat State Aids Control Society (GSACS) through RTI, the death of children with HIV has doubled in the state in 2012-2013. In 2012, 40 HIV positive children expired. The figure surged to 80 next year. Till October 2014, as many as 78 children had died because of the infection. In the past eight years, 306 children have contracted the virus in the city. Moreover, the state has contracted the highest HIV infection through blood transfusion in six years: 2,500 cases.

CANCEROUS GROWTH

Ahmedabad has the highest number of people succumbing to oral cancer in India. Drinking, smoking, gutkha consumption, unhealthy diet, chronic trauma and bad oral hygiene have led to an increase in oral cancer. Till 2010, mostly people above 60 years were susceptible to oral cancer. However, the figures of past five years from the city cancer hospitals show that more and more youths are being detected with the deadly disease. In the past five years, oral cancer due to tobacco consumption has increased by 53 per cent. Sadly, the number of patients below 40 years has also surged by 106 per cent between 2012 and 2014, say experts. Gujarat again tops the chart in cholera. The national average was 32.2 whereas Gujarat in 2013 accounted for 327 cases. Though second, Maharashtra stood far behind with 247 cases.

HIGH MORTALITY

Gujarat is also number one when it comes to vaccine-related deaths. According to the latest figures available with Mirror, 128 children have succumbed to adverse effects following immunisation across the country and shockingly, Gujarat accounts for the highest number of such deaths. Experts from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) say the data is the tip of the iceberg as most of the deaths go unreported. Gujarat has the unenviable distinction of topping the list with 38 deaths followed by Uttar Pradesh (25), Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra (12) and West Bengal (10). As per the latest figure with the health department, the state also registered the highest mortality rate in multidrug resistant TB. In 2011, 88 people succumbed to it. Moreover, in just two years of the first detection of extreme drug resistant TB, more than 200 patients have already got infected in the state while the national average is only 33.

MODEL STATE?

Why is Gujarat doing so badly in health sector? Why despite being promoted as a model state, people are falling prey to deadly diseases? Prof Atul Sood of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who has written a book on Gujarat economy named Poverty Amidst Prosperity, said, "There can be two logical answers: case of neglect, missing out on care, problem of priority or alternatively it is something inherent in the growth process itself as it doesn't bring people into the picture. Growth is not people-centric. And unless people are put at the centre stage of a model, such health outcome is inevitable." He added, "Economy is doing fine but people are not. It is like high growth model where people are not kept at the center stage."

However, according to Health Commissioner J P Gupta conditions are not that bad. "I don't think Gujarat has the highest deaths in drug-resistant TB. Rather, it is far behind other state in this disease. HIV is a different epidemiology which mostly depends on the behavioural pattern. In oral cancer, we have an efficient cancer institute which gets people from across the country so the compilations show so high number," he said. Health is part of the millennium development goal (MDG) but considering the performance of Gujarat which is far worse than any other state; experts are pessimistic if the state will be able to fulfill the criteria. Said Prof Mavlankar, in MDG, the state might come close to the goal "Our figures may be high But it doesn't mean that our condition is bad," he said..