ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES, CHALLENGES OF DISTRICT EARLY INTERVENTION CENTRE UNDER RASHTRIYA BAL SWASTHYA KARYAKRAM AT DISTRICT JODHPUR: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: The Government of India launched the child health screening and early Intervention programme called Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram in 2014 to screen children from 0 to 18 years for the early detection of 4 Ds (Defects, Diseases, Deficiency, and Developmental Delays including disabilities). Under this program, district early intervention centres (DEICs) are set up as nodal centres at the district level to manage the cases of 4Ds.

Objectives: To assess the available resources, challenges of District Early Intervention Centre under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram at District Jodhpur.

Methodology:A cross sectional study was conducted in the month of April. Jodhpur district was selected by purposive sampling.Data regarding the available resources was collected by using observational checklist and the information regarding the challenges was collected by semi structured questionnaire through face-to-face interview with the DEIC manager.

Results: The resultsreveal that DEIC of district Jodhpur is deficient in terms of staff, equipment and physical space. The challenges identified were resistance in caretakers regarding treatment and less staff and physical space available for DEIC.

Conclusion: Overallthe researcher identified that there was a deficiency of staff, furniture and medical equipment and tools at DEIC and the main challenges were community resistance, less staff and physical space. There is a need to be filled up vacant post and provide needed infrastructural facilities. separately so that RBSK program in DEIC can run smoothly and effectively.Education and sensitization of community with reinforcement could help to overcome the resistance in community.