22nd April 2020
Musings.......
Kerala Model -Lest we forget
The famed Kerala model of development is characterised by achievements in social indicators such as education, healthcare, high life expectancy, low infant mortality and low birth rate. Kerala has achieved social development comparable to those of developed countries even though the states per capita income is moderate.
Kerala has a 631 km narrow coast in southwest India supporting 4.5% of the country’s population. With its natural beauty it is rightly called the “ Gods own country” further enhancing tourism opportunities.
Kerala enjoys a high literacy rate only slightly higher among males than females. Kerala has the lowest population growth rate in India, comparable to China’s near zero population growth rate. However, population pressure on the meagre land is very high. The low level of infant mortality is testimony to excellent health standards of the population both among males and females.
The social status of Kerala women is high, supported by nuclear families and a higher rate of females in the workforce.
The state also records the lowest rate of child labour in the country.
Kerala is known for its expatriate population. One in four Kerala households has received some of its income from Gulf states since 1973. Of the total of 40 million people born in Kerala, more than 8 million were living and working outside Kerala State in 2003.
(Encyclopedia.com figures).
However, Kerala’s high level of human development are not matched by industrial growth or employment opportunities within the state. The economy became stagnant and nonproductive in many sectors, except tourism. Globalisation policies had already affected its traditional industries such as coir, handloomed textiles and cashew nut and in turn increasing the unemployed.
At the political level Kerala has the healthy tradition of bipolar coalition politics in the backdrop of a multiparty system. The Indian National Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) are two leading parties.
The term Kerala Model of development was popularised by eminent economists Jean Drez and Amartya Sen. They give a definition -
- [ ] A set of high material quality of life indicators coinciding with low per capita incomes both distributed across nearly the entire population of Kerala.
- [ ] A set of wealth and resources redistribution programmes that have largely brought about the high material quality of life indicators.
- [ ] A high level of political participation and activism among ordinary people along with substantial number of dedicated leaders at all levels.
Healthcare in Kerala
Kerala has a long history of organised traditional healthcare system including Ayurveda long before the advent of modern medicine.
The rulers of pre- independent Princely states of Malabar, Thirukochi and Travancore were concerned about healthcare and took initiatives to make available best practices of healthcare to the public.
Dr. Mary Punnen Lukose was the First Lady doctor appointment in Indian state.
An example of how much Kerala was ahead of its times is, a royal proclamation in 1879 made maid vaccination compulsory.
Primary healthcare was started in rural areas and a General Hospital in Trivandrum and Kochi was started about 150 years ago. Imagine that !
Christian missionaries established mission hospitals in rural areas and large population of young girls took up nursing as a career.
After the formation of Kerala state, the “successive” governments laid emphasis on healthcare systems which was accessible to all citizens. All this government efforts along with high literacy especially female literacy correlate to this achievement.
High literacy rate, for example among women contributed for this lower birth rate.
To see the growth in healthcare sector - Kerala has more than 3600 government medical institutions in the state, with more than 38,000 beds in Govt. hospitals and almost 67,000 beds in the private sector.
The emphasis on primary prevention has been the hallmark of Kerala model of healthcare.
Kerala is the worlds first “baby friendly state” according to WHO and UNICEF because of its effective promotion of breast feeding over formulas. More than 95% delivery is institutional !!
Primary Prevention- Training of health educators and ASHA workers, health workers to prevent and combat communicable diseases has been of primary importance to the state.
Along with primary prevention there is stress on Immunization camps, pain and palliative centres.
All these points indicate towards the fact that Kerala is a highly health conscious society.
Another interesting fact about Kerala is its Urban- Rural equality and continuum. Almost all facilities available in urban area such as markets, schools, post office, hospitals and other basic facilities are also seen in rural areas. Even if any facility is absent, it can be accessible within 2-5 kms. One feature that stands out is all social groups have equal access to public well, prayer centres, market centres etc.
Though I can go on and on in boasting about my home state, the scope of my article is limited to these areas.
Despite lack of employment opportunities and economic development Kerala has grown at par in terms of social development to developed countries as I already mentioned.
Malayalis as a tribe is well informed and a politically aware lot. Seldom you would find a Malayali without strong political affiliations if not outright politics. Newspapers and journal reading is part and parcel of daily life of most malayalis. A few urban lot may have switched to other mediums such as online media however, their reading habit is sustained.
In such a scenario it is not at all surprising that Kerala has shown good progress in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic up until now.
Giving and taking credit has a big difference.
People can take credit for what others have done with the support of a historically strong healthcare system and Malayalis strong civic sense, but lest we forget Keralites will only give credit only where it is due.
Food for thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
Adding an excerpt from Adv. Jaishankar.
Kerala Model -Lest we forget
The famed Kerala model of development is characterised by achievements in social indicators such as education, healthcare, high life expectancy, low infant mortality and low birth rate. Kerala has achieved social development comparable to those of developed countries even though the states per capita income is moderate.
Kerala has a 631 km narrow coast in southwest India supporting 4.5% of the country’s population. With its natural beauty it is rightly called the “ Gods own country” further enhancing tourism opportunities.
Kerala enjoys a high literacy rate only slightly higher among males than females. Kerala has the lowest population growth rate in India, comparable to China’s near zero population growth rate. However, population pressure on the meagre land is very high. The low level of infant mortality is testimony to excellent health standards of the population both among males and females.
The social status of Kerala women is high, supported by nuclear families and a higher rate of females in the workforce.
The state also records the lowest rate of child labour in the country.
Kerala is known for its expatriate population. One in four Kerala households has received some of its income from Gulf states since 1973. Of the total of 40 million people born in Kerala, more than 8 million were living and working outside Kerala State in 2003.
(Encyclopedia.com figures).
However, Kerala’s high level of human development are not matched by industrial growth or employment opportunities within the state. The economy became stagnant and nonproductive in many sectors, except tourism. Globalisation policies had already affected its traditional industries such as coir, handloomed textiles and cashew nut and in turn increasing the unemployed.
At the political level Kerala has the healthy tradition of bipolar coalition politics in the backdrop of a multiparty system. The Indian National Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) are two leading parties.
The term Kerala Model of development was popularised by eminent economists Jean Drez and Amartya Sen. They give a definition -
- [ ] A set of high material quality of life indicators coinciding with low per capita incomes both distributed across nearly the entire population of Kerala.
- [ ] A set of wealth and resources redistribution programmes that have largely brought about the high material quality of life indicators.
- [ ] A high level of political participation and activism among ordinary people along with substantial number of dedicated leaders at all levels.
Healthcare in Kerala
Kerala has a long history of organised traditional healthcare system including Ayurveda long before the advent of modern medicine.
The rulers of pre- independent Princely states of Malabar, Thirukochi and Travancore were concerned about healthcare and took initiatives to make available best practices of healthcare to the public.
Dr. Mary Punnen Lukose was the First Lady doctor appointment in Indian state.
An example of how much Kerala was ahead of its times is, a royal proclamation in 1879 made maid vaccination compulsory.
Primary healthcare was started in rural areas and a General Hospital in Trivandrum and Kochi was started about 150 years ago. Imagine that !
Christian missionaries established mission hospitals in rural areas and large population of young girls took up nursing as a career.
After the formation of Kerala state, the “successive” governments laid emphasis on healthcare systems which was accessible to all citizens. All this government efforts along with high literacy especially female literacy correlate to this achievement.
High literacy rate, for example among women contributed for this lower birth rate.
To see the growth in healthcare sector - Kerala has more than 3600 government medical institutions in the state, with more than 38,000 beds in Govt. hospitals and almost 67,000 beds in the private sector.
The emphasis on primary prevention has been the hallmark of Kerala model of healthcare.
Kerala is the worlds first “baby friendly state” according to WHO and UNICEF because of its effective promotion of breast feeding over formulas. More than 95% delivery is institutional !!
Primary Prevention- Training of health educators and ASHA workers, health workers to prevent and combat communicable diseases has been of primary importance to the state.
Along with primary prevention there is stress on Immunization camps, pain and palliative centres.
All these points indicate towards the fact that Kerala is a highly health conscious society.
Another interesting fact about Kerala is its Urban- Rural equality and continuum. Almost all facilities available in urban area such as markets, schools, post office, hospitals and other basic facilities are also seen in rural areas. Even if any facility is absent, it can be accessible within 2-5 kms. One feature that stands out is all social groups have equal access to public well, prayer centres, market centres etc.
Though I can go on and on in boasting about my home state, the scope of my article is limited to these areas.
Despite lack of employment opportunities and economic development Kerala has grown at par in terms of social development to developed countries as I already mentioned.
Malayalis as a tribe is well informed and a politically aware lot. Seldom you would find a Malayali without strong political affiliations if not outright politics. Newspapers and journal reading is part and parcel of daily life of most malayalis. A few urban lot may have switched to other mediums such as online media however, their reading habit is sustained.
In such a scenario it is not at all surprising that Kerala has shown good progress in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic up until now.
Giving and taking credit has a big difference.
People can take credit for what others have done with the support of a historically strong healthcare system and Malayalis strong civic sense, but lest we forget Keralites will only give credit only where it is due.
Food for thought.......
RC
rohitchennithala.blogspot.com
rohitchennithala.home.blog
Adding an excerpt from Adv. Jaishankar.
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