BHCS Programme of WBVHA work closely with the community people through local staff members engaged in the field of health, social development. The primary objectives of BHCS are to promote community health, social justice, human rights related to the provision, distribution of health services, collectivizing the effort of community groups, creating opportunities for positioning them within the local health system. The programme emphasizes towards strengthening the health service providers as well as the community groups, creating enabling environment for the people to access, ensure quality health care services.

BHCS Programme, through capable intervision ensures its team members to feel responsible to bridge the gap between the health services provided and health services required, to understand about the present health situation and the various factors creating the problems and deficiencies. In one hand, BHCSP is working for building people’ confidence on govt. health care services, creating enabling environment to increase peoples’ accessibility to the services and on the other hand it is determined to strengthen the services and service providers by way of support and assistance. BHCSP doesn’t believe in creating a parallel system but to strengthen the existing services with full community cooperation.

GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE

Basic Health Care Support Program is implemented in 74 Gram Panchayats in 23 blocks in 5 districts of West Bengal namely; South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling

Specific Objective

Improve access to affordable, sustainable and equitable quality health services taking into account people’s needs in an effective health system through a people centered partnership process with involvement of all stakeholders

RESULT 1 : Capacity Building, promotion of good governance and developing strong linkage among communities, CBOs/CSOs, PRI, Public-Private Health actors and BHCS team  which leads to better health.

Research study : Assessment of National Health Policy 2017

—  Assessment of National health plans, programs and strategies and assessing health system performance in collaboration with of All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health (AIIH&PH), Kolkata

—  Study areas : North 24 Parganas (22 blocks) & South 24 Parganas (29 blocks). Three villages from each block were selected randomly

—  2000 HHs were selected randomly for interview. Data entry and Data analysis completed

—  98  Health Fcailities were selected for survey. Survey completed and data entry is in progress.

Capacity Building For Analytical Work And Policy Dialogue/Advocacy

GOAL 

To build the capacity of participants to identify, understand and apply strategies to advocate for health policies

OBJECTIVE

To improve participants' ability to engage in Policy advocacy

TRAINING

Field Level: 27, Management Level:  28

Facilitated by:

All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata

Centre for Health and Social Justice, New Delhi

OUTCOME

·         Identify key elements of advocacy planning

·         Identify purpose and use of message framing techniques

·         Prepare responses to critics

·         Apply data to enhance messages

·         Apply message framing techniques to deliver messages to target audiences

Capacity Building of Civil Society, Private Sector (RMP) for Better Advocacy

PURPOSE : To increase transparency and accountability

TRAINING : In collaboration with block level authorities. No. of Participant:  467

OUTCOME

·      Created a platform for regular sharing issues of  RMPs with BMOH

·      Regular linkages of RMP  associations with block/sub-division level

·      Develop a referral system

·      Involving RMPs in dengue mitigation program (North 24 Parganas)

·      Demand for quarterly meetings with government authorities

·      Demand for inclusion of more clinical component in the training sessions

Training/Workshop for BHCSP staffs

·        Leadership

o   OUTCOME

§   Understand that leadership is a process of  Social Influence

§   Differentiate  between good management  & good leadership

·         Peace Building

o   OUTCOME

§  Understood the root cause of conflict

§  Learnt the  skills to resolve conflict

§  Developed skills, knowledge and power to pursue peace

Creation of Mutual Aid Networks

BENEFIT

·       Helps to build local Level networks

·       Reciprocity

·       Voluntary reciprocal exchange for mutual benefit

·       Cooperative ownership

OUTCOME

·       Trust building

·        Strong & effective networking

·        Autonomy and Independence

·        Building Community

·        Sustainability

CHALLENGE

·       Traditional myth & superstition

·        No clear idea of health services

·        Difficult to arrange community at one place

·        Political biasness

RESULT 2 : Quality of care issues in the local health system have been identified & properly addressed and appropriate changes at different levels in partnership with the community groups and other stake holders have been proposed and the evidence-based, people centred inclusive BHCS programme is acknowledged by various stakeholders

Capacity Building of BHCS Team (4 days’ Training of Trainers)

PURPOSE : Learning process for the Coordinators who will be providing training and capacity-building assistance to field staff for BHCSP program implementation

OUT COME

·       Distributive Learning Approach

·       Build a pool of competent coordinators who can then teach their staffs

·       Coordinators  can present information  effectively, respond to questions, and lead BHCSP activities that  reinforce learning

Capacity Building of Health Actors (ANM)

Total number of Training: 17

Total number of ANM Trained: 779

OBJECTIVES

·       Improve the efficiency and effectiveness

·       Build capacity on providing alien services

·        Identification of health need and development of health plan by involving community

OUTCOMES

·       Highly appreciated by the block/district authorities

·       Request from block authorities for further training  for 2nd ANM

Promotion of Emergency Health Fund

PURPOSE : Building up a savings buffer—called an Emergency Health Fund that can be used for unexpected health emergencies 

STEPS

·       STEP I - HEALTH EDUCATION

•       Knowledge development on various health problems and issues

•       Cost Analysis

•       Direct & Indirect expenditure

·       STEP II - CONCEPT SHARING

•       Utility of community Health Fund

•       Better understanding of  HHs’ willingness and ability to join

•       Operational strategy 

·       STEP III - SKILL DEVELOPMENT

•       Identification of health gaps/needs through active community participation

•       Estimation of direct and indirect expenditure

·       STEP IV - LINKAGE DEVELOPMENT

•       Linking SHGs with various government schemes and programs like Swasthya Sathi, SASPFUW, Insurance for unskilled workers, RSBY etc

COVERAGE

•        Total  number of HF group : 693                             Monthly contribution : ₹ 5/- to ₹ 50/-

•        Families : 6,930                                                     Total savings in CHF :  ₹ 22,43,094/-

•        Population : 34,650                                                Loan given for treatment :  ₹ 8,84,730/-

•        No. of person benefitted :440

BENEFITS

•        Relieve from unnecessary stress of borrowing loan, selling properties, etc.

CHALLANGES

•       Building trust

•       Opening of separate bank account

•       Difficulties to motive the CSPs and cluster leaders towards of CHF

Participation in National/International Conferences

·       Participated and presented paper  on  Community Participation and sustainable benefits to Elderly Care – A study in Rural  West Bengal, India : In 19th Biennial Conference of the association of Gerontology & Multi-disciplinary Workshops on Emerging Scenario of Population Ageing at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi,  on 17  & 18th August 2019, by the Association of Gerontology India (AGI).

·       Abstract accepted for Oral presentation on How Community Groups/ Community Based Organisations (CBOs) bring sustainable benefits in Elderly care? – A study in Rural West Bengal, India : in  Aging & Gerontology 2019 , 27-28, May 2019, Rome, Italy

·       Participated and presented paper  on  Community Scoring and  Interface  Meeting : It’s Benefits and Challanges –An Experience  in  West Bengal:  in  COPASAH Global Symposium 2019 , 15-18th October’ 2019, The Habitat Centre, New Delhi

Membership in Scientific Committee

·       Dr. Ketaki Das, Public Health Research Officer, BHCSP was selected as a Scientific Committee member of 5th Annual Rural Development Conference 2019 held on 15-17 July 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand by Tomorrow Peoples Organization. Role: Abstract reviewing and full paper refereeing

·       Dr. Das received the Membership in Health Systems Global.

Result 3 : Resilient community leading to a more equitable society

Supporting Local Initiatives

PURPOSE : Engaging people to find out their local problems and taking active initiatives for it

PROCESS

·       Organize the Community for action

·       Explore the common issues and Set priorities

·       Planning

·       Action

·       Monitoring/ Evaluation

INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN

·       Approach  road to Sub Centre (HDC, INSS)

·       Garbage Pit (IAD, RLSK)

·       Construction of Drain (AGP)

BENEFITS

·       Understanding of health needs/issues

·       Prioritization of need

·       Community satisfaction and ownership

CHALLANGES

·       Active participation

·       Government cooperation

·       High expectation of people

Creation of Community Hub

LOCATION :  Village: Paschim Surendranagar, GP: Dubachati, Block: Pathar Pratima

District: South 24 Parganas

PURPOSE : Creating a focal point to facilitate community initiatives to improve the quality of life

BENEFITS

·       Help build more cohesive & resilient  communities

·       Build better and more integrated services

·       Transform existing, unused building/space

·       Provide a focus for community

CHALLANGES

·       Establishing Trust

·       Ensuring ongoing engagement of local population

·       Availability of site and resources

Annual Mission 2020 and lessons learnt

Strengths

-          Indirect (‘passive’) contribution of the BHCSP program. For example: the Project financial management system of the program adapted by other projects

-          BHCSP staff have been selected as VHSNC resource persons, district & GP level trainers,

-          State level geriatric network where BHCSP program has facilitated the first meeting. To make this network sustainable is worked upon.

Weaknesses

-          WBVHA Institutional assessment needs to be implemented

Opportunities:

-          Government now works with the RMP and tries to link them to govt. services, starting from the principle ‘do less harm’ e.g. promote safe abortions by assuring referral system by RMP to public health services.

Challenges/constraints:

-          Person-centred care remains a big challenge in the (public) health system in India: World Bank Study: in the public health system on average spends 2 minutes per patient and asks 1 question. Most RMP on the contrary are always available, personally know the patients, and don’t charge for the consultation but only for the medication. Some MOs work together with them by giving them training and in return they monitor health at community level. 

-          Relationships are important in interface meetings (see critical incident in Howrah)