Introduction:In National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness (NPPCD), the management of ear diseases of rural India is now guided by Revised Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for Rural Health Facilities for providing quality ear care. However, despite the IPHS existence, coverage and quality ear care is questionable. Moreover, this issue has not yet been studied till now in the Indian context. The objective of the study was to assess the role of Private Medical College Training Center (Rural Health Training Centre [RHTC]) in augmenting quality of ear care services in NPPCD at district level by adopting IPHS Standards.Materials and Methods:A combined retrospective and prospective cohort study was done at RHTC of a Medical College in West Uttar Pradesh from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2017, by retrospective approach of selecting all ear patients (n = 3840) and prospective way of assessing the impact of IPHS for ear care. The semi-structured Pro forma was used in exploring the coverage and quality of ear care. The data were analyzed by Epi Info version 7.2.Results:Out of total 4817 ear, nose, and throat (ENT) patients, the majority of ear patients (n = 3840) were initially dissatisfied with coverage and quality of ear services provided by ENT specialists at RHTC. However, when IPHS exposure was given from July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017, not only majority of patients were satisfied (n = 3110, 81%) but also ear curative treatment was significantly higher (n = 2120, 68.1% vs. n = 130, 17.8%, odds ratio = 9.8, RR = 1.5, P < 0.00001).Conclusions:Adherence to IPHS in NPPCD is essential for delivering better ear care by RHTC through primary health-care approach.

Background:Scarcity of suitable food, lack of purchasing power of the family as well as traditional beliefs and taboos about what the baby should eat, often lead to a sufficient balanced diet, resulting in malnutrition. In children, malnutrition is synonymous with growth failure. Malnourished children are shorter and weigh less than they should be for their age and height.Materials and Methods:The present study was conducted from September 2017 to November 2017.112 malnourish children, aged 6-60 months who were admitted to NRC during the study period at district hospital Meerut were assessed. Checklist based on operational guidelines on facility based management was used. Data was analyzed in Microsoft Excel and Epi info.Result:In the studied population, there were 45 males and 67 females, out of which highest representation was from the age group of 13 to 24 months.67% of studied population belonged to schedule caste. The average weight gain during the stay at the center was 9.92±5.43g/kg/day. The average duration of stay at NRC was 12.01±1.61 days. Only 30% of mothers had appropriate knowledge regarding therapeutic diet and only 50% of the mothers know about the preparation of nutritious food from locally available foods.Conclusion:Targeted supplementary nutrition and therapeutic nutrition with specific micronutrients when provided to malnourish children for 14 days by Nutrition Rehabilitation Center can be helpful to improve their nutritional status. There is need to scale up community awareness and community participation for NRCs.

Background: Primary health care approach in ENT health care delivery; has shown to be a budding strategy in alleviating the ENT disease burden in the rural of India, as evident from literature. However the impact of Psycho-social needs fulfillment associated with ENT diseases for achieving optimum ENT care has not been studied till now, which was the main issue addressed by this study. Methods: A Prospective study was done on needs of ENT patients in 6 villages (sampled randomly); in a catchment area of a rural health training centre (RHTC) of a Medical College in western Uttar Pradesh (Muzaffarnagar) from 1st January 2015 to 30th June 2016 by way of a Wellness Triangle approach of WHO exploring Physical, Social and Mental needs from ENT Specialist Services. All the needs of patients were studied by a Semi-structured Performa and data was analyzed by appropriate statistical software’s. Results: Among 384 patients, who attended ENT Specialist services at RHTC for 1.6 years- the majority of patients availing ENT care at RHTC were initially dissatisfied with Psycho-social support provided by ENT Specialists(77%,n=296). However when Psycho-social Component of Patients (n=311, 81%) were fulfilled by both ENT & Community Medicine faculties -the ENT Curative treatment % was higher (n=212, 55.2% vs. n=13, 3.3%, OR=9.8, RR=1.5) and this difference was also statistically significant( p<0.00001). Conclusions: Greater psycho-social support is needed by ENT patients; apart from focus on pure curative approach by otorhinolaryngologist. The full-filing of psycho-social needs of ENT patients, needs more attention by both ENT specialists and community physicians for delivering ENT care by primary health care approach.

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