ASHA worker has hardly paid any home visit to beneficiaries in Bharanibeda village under Thakurmunda Block of Mayurbhanj district, reveals a recently conducted “Community Monitoring Process” assessment. Even the ambulance driver openly asking for payoff of Rs. 200/- to carry each pregnant mother for institutional delivery, the study further discloses. While the ICDS beneficiaries were getting only 6 eggs instead of 11 eggs in a month, the village Anganwadi Centre was deprived of getting required kind of play materials for the pre-school children up to 6 years age too. Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), a popular flagship programme, provides supplementary nutrition, immunization and pre-school education through Anganwadi Centre in each village. Under ICDS, Anganwadi Centre in every village acts as the hub for service provision and looks into the nutritional aspect of pregnant women, lactating mothers and children up to 6 years.

The Mini-Anganwadi Centre in Bharanibeda village of Khandabandha Gram Panchayat under Thakurmunda Block is supposed to extend services to around 35 numbers of beneficiaries. Of the 35 beneficiaries, there are 12 children ageing 6 months to 3 years, 20 children between the age group of 3 to 6 years, one pregnant woman and 2 number of lactating mothers.

As part of the community monitoring of basic health services, facilitated by CYSD, both service providers i.e. ASHA worker, AWW and service users, like pregnant women and lactating mothers were interacted separately. While investigating the issue in detail, most of the service users said, “We are getting 6 eggs in a month, the ambulance driver is asking for Rs. 200/- to carry each pregnant mother for delivery at the health centre, ASHA is not at all paying any home visits, and our Anganwadi Centre lacks required kind of play materials for the pre-school children”. On the other hand, while the service providers were interacted, various issues, such as irregular supply of egg, scanty budget to purchase egg, limited supply of pre-school play materials and excess work-load of ASHA came to the notice.

Expediting the monitoring process, a village level interface was organized between the service users and service providers where the Ward Member of Bharanideda village was also present. While developing a village level plan of action, the service users demanded to know about their entitlements from Anganwadi Centre as well as the timetable for home visits and counseling by ASHA. At that time, the service providers had no other ways than confessing their irregularities. Instantly they were agreed to pay regular home visits and provide counseling care to the mothers. Moreover, it was also mutually agreed by both the service users and the service providers to pledge complaints at the CHC, Thakurmunda and Sub-Divisional Hospital, Karanjia regarding the ambulance driver’s illicit demand for payoff. Even, the village Ward Member took the responsibility to further interact with the concerned Sector Supervisor regarding supply of necessary pre-school play materials. This was happened during the last quarter of the year 2019.

A slight vigilant eye, close-knit monitoring and supervision by the community has changed the whole situation. At present the ambulance is coming to pick up the pregnant mothers at their doorstep for institutional delivery and driver is restrained from asking for bribe for his services. Anganwadi Centre is equipped with sufficient playing materials for pre-school children and children are enjoying their school life.

“Now I getting 11 eggs in each month as against 6 eggs earlier. ASHA Didi is making regular visits to our home for health check-ups and providing health tips”, said a Bishnupriya Mohanta, a lactating mother of 32 years old in cheerful face.