Odisha to appoint Swasthya Sanjojaka to strengthen Govt hospital's help desks

Bhubaneswar: Under the Odisha government's new initiative, a health coordinator known as Swasthya Sanjojaka would be appointed at the government hospitals in the state who would act as a mediator between the patients and their kin, and would be responsible for providing information about all government health schemes to the public.  

The move is aimed at improving the health desk at the government medical colleges and hospitals.

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A senior nursing officer would be appointed as the Swasthya Sanjojaka who would update the relatives on the patient's condition admitted at the ICU and would provide all information related to the government's health schemes.

According to an official statement, the Superintendents of MCHs were directed to regularize the functioning of the helpdesks by nominating one Senior Nursing Officer as Swasthya Sanjoak, reports the Telegraph India. "Swasthya Sanajoak 'will act as a link between the hospital and patients' family/attendants' for dissemination of updated information about treatment and health condition of the indoor patients," the statement said.

Following directions of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for making universal clinical care under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana more accessible for common people, Secretary Health and Family Welfare Shalini Pandit directed Superintendents of all government medical colleges and hospitals (MCHs) to strengthen help desk system in their respective institutions and the appointment of a Swasthya Sanjojaka comes under this.

Issuing the directions on Thursday, Pandit said, "Learning from COVID-19 showed that informing the attendants/relatives about the patients' updated health condition was of crucial importance for mitigating their anxiety". She added that such a system would also be "be quite helpful to the relatives, attendants of the patients in ICU, HDU of government MCHs where access of others is restricted". Pandit said that the Nursing Officer having a 'suitable attitude' and 'aptitude' might be nominated for the purpose. 

The official statement also noted. "It may be pertinent to mention that earlier Government had engaged Swasthya Sahayaks in all the private hospitals empanelled under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) for facilitating cashless treatment to poor patients enrolled under BSKY. As of now, these Swasthya Sahayaks are operating in 402 privately empanelled hospitals in different districts of the State. The system functioned well as the number of patients getting cashless treatment in private hospitals showed a constant increase. With dedicated Swasthya Sanjojak in Govt MCHs, the felt-need of the people would be met thereby providing a fillip to the universal health care under BSKY." 

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