LUCKNOW: Rising from ashes, Bihar is India’s newphoenix. Recently it impressed the World Bankresulting in an aid worth several hundred crores for development of the state. And it has a number of lessons for neighbouring UP. In 2002-03, when census data was notified, UP fared better than Bihar. But, now the tortoise (read Bihar) has metamorphosed to hare, leaving UP behind.
Consider figures from the National Rural Health Mission. Number of institutional deliveries – the chief tool to curb infant, neonatal and maternal mortality rates – in Bihar stood at 2.37 lakh in 2005. Five years since, a five-fold increase has been recorded for the state. In UP however, the progress hasn’t been much. Compared to a figure of 19.22 lakh in 2005, number of women delivering babies in recognised health care centres didn’t even double by 2010. Laggard state of routine immunisation could also be exemplified. As of now, four out of five children in UP aren’t fully immunised. In Bihar, the ratio of children protected with that of unimmunised is 2:3. What needs to be underlined is the progress made by Bihar on the front. Figures show that Bihar’s rate of immunisation stood just 10% during the first National Family Health Survey which grew to 33% in NFHS-3. In UP, 19.8% were fully immunised during the time of NFHS-1 while the figure rose to 23% in NFHS-3.
There could be many more examples. But more importantly, findings reasons behind the trend is needed. A former director general of health services, says that UP is the only state in India to have overridden NRHM’s guiding principle which relates to converging health and family welfare to effectively implement schemes.
”But here, first the ministers separated which was followed by principal secretaries and DGs. Last year, the division percolated to the level of chief medical officers. There is utter chaos,” he said. Associated with social work through Unicef in India especially UP and Bihar, Augustine Veliath held missing ‘M’s responsible for poor state of affairs in UP. The first ‘M’ is mindset while the second is motivation.
”In Bihar, the general mindset is that we can do it, but in UP everything looks unachievable. Lack of motivation discourages even more. Sometimes, I wonder what makes some policy-makers start all over again,” he said adding that frequent transfer of collectors doesn’t give them enough time to work for a cause, assess results and improve.
Patna based Asian Development Institute of India’s director Shaiwal Gupta, is hopeful of UP. ”Things may not be moving in the right direction as of now. But there is hope for UP on account of its robust institutional base. The only ingredient needed is strong political will and its effective implementation down the line,” he said.