Last Update:  March 04, 2008  

Preparatory workshop of the People's Rural Health Watch

Date: 8-9 January 2006

Venue: Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, Circular Road, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 11002. Ph. 011 23013631

Activities of the PRHW were initiated with a National-level workshop held in Delhi on 8th-9th January 2006, in which JSA representatives from 10 states participated (from Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh).

Some of the important decisions/outcome of this workshop were:

1. It was decided to collect information at two levels:
   - to look at all official documents regarding health sector in general, and specifically NRHM, including task group recommendations, to understand what has been proposed and planned;
   - direct observation and information collection at the state-level, through surveys, to document and assess how the NRHM was being implemented and its impact on health services.
   
    
2. The Watch-survey was to be conducted by the state JSA units and the constituent organisations. The state JSA units would hold preparatory meetings in the state on NRHM, identify and mobilise other organisations in the state for the Watch-survey, conduct the survey, and prepare and disseminate the state-level Report. A state-core group was to be constituted for this purpose.
   
    
3. The district would be the unit for the Watch-process - for the survey and for monitoring activities. It was suggested that the Watch should try to cover about 3 blocks in every district – which meant surveying 3 CHCs, 3PHCs, 9 sub-centers and 9 villages in each district. The Watch needed to be clear about what was feasible for participating organisations, keeping in mind requirements of quality of information.
   
    
4. Several issues regarding methodology and design of the survey, what kind of information needed to be collected, preparing the tools and questionnaires were discussed. In this regard it was pointed out that caution needed to be exercised in assessing the performance of sub-centers, and in monitoring ASHA performance. It was repeatedly emphasized that the objective in the Watch survey would be look at how the ASHA-programme was being implemented, and was progressing. In this context it was important to look at whether or not she was getting support for her activities from the health institutions and from the community. The idea was not to emphasize monitoring of the ASHA service provision component, or to target individual ASHAs.
   
   
5. Decisions were taken about orientation and training of investigators from participating organisations in the states for the survey. State-level workshops were to be held for this purpose.
   
   
6. The Secretariat members would co-ordinate the Watch process. They would prepare the tools and questionaires for the Watch survey, and facilitate the orientation and training workshops. The National Core group members would extend support in this process. The Secretariat would also provide support in collecting and facilitating analysis of secondary information and policy documents, and prepare the National-level Report, etc.
   
   
7. A time-schedule for one year was tentatively made, keeping in view the National Health Assembly-II, to be held by JSA in February 2007. It was planned to release state-level reports as part of the process of preparing/mobilising for the NHA-II, and to release a national level report on the NRHM at the NHA-II.
   
   
8. An amount of Rs 23,000 was available for each state for certain activities – Rs 20,000 to hold an orientation and training workshop for investigators, and Rs 3000 for preparation of state-level reports.