Mumbai :- The State government has decided to launch the ambitious ‘My Village, Healthy Village’ campaign to transform the rural landscape of Maharashtra and ensure that quality healthcare services are made available to citizens at their doorstep in the rural areas. The statewide initiative will be implemented under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. The initiative has been undertaken at the behest of Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar and Minister of State Meghna Sakore Bordikar, and will be launched across the state from April 1.
The government aims to ensure that this campaign goes beyond being just a government program and evolves into a mass health movement through public participation. Under this proposed campaign, every village will be developed into a healthy village. The campaign will strengthen healthcare services and systems from the village level up to the state level. In addition to this, the campaign will help deliver healthcare services to people at the grassroots level.
A key feature of the ‘My Village, Healthy Village’ campaign is its emphasis on prevention rather than treatment. The primary objective is to bring about positive changes in health-related habits in rural areas and encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles. The campaign will focus not only on treating diseases but also on preventing them by emphasising basic aspects such as sanitation, safe drinking water, sewage management, and nutrition. It will also cover communicable diseases as well as lifestyle-related illnesses, along with maternal and child health and mental health. Healthcare systems at all levels, from gram panchayats to district councils, will actively participate in the campaign. The state government aims to spread awareness about cleanliness and health across villages and implement the concept of a “healthy village” through the campaign.
‘Well-performing villages to be awarded “Healthy Village” status’
To ensure effective implementation of the ‘My Village, Healthy Village’ campaign, committees have been constituted in three tiers—from the state level to the gram panchayat level. A state-level committee, chaired by Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, will oversee the entire campaign. Meanwhile, an implementation committee led by the Principal Secretary of the Health Department will plan and execute on-ground activities.
At the village level, specific evaluation criteria have been established, and villages scoring more than 70 per cent under these parameters will be awarded the status of a “Healthy Village.” Such villages will be recognised and encouraged through mementoes, certificates, and cash rewards.
The state government has sanctioned a fund of Rs 80.75 crore for the campaign. District councils, panchayat samitis, villages, and primary health centres demonstrating outstanding performance in the campaign will be eligible for awards worth several crores.
Prizes ranging from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore
At the state level, the district council securing first place will receive Rs 5 crore, followed by Rs 3 crore for second place and Rs 2 crore for third place. At the panchayat samiti level, incentives have also been provisioned, with Rs 2 crore for first place, Rs 1.5 crore for second place, and Rs 1.25 crore for third place.
At the state level, the best-performing rural and sub-district hospitals will receive a special prize of Rs 75 lakh. Sub-health centres will be awarded Rs 5 lakh at the district level and Rs 25 lakh at the state level for securing first place. Similarly, primary health centres will receive Rs 10 lakh at the district level and Rs 50 lakh at the state level.
Villages will also be rewarded at the district, divisional, and state levels with prizes of up to Rs 25 lakh, Rs 1 crore, and Rs 5 crore, respectively. The campaign will be conducted annually from April 1 to March 31, providing villages with an opportunity each year to improve their performance and qualify for these awards.