Health services reach village Konde near remote area Abujhmar in Bastar division
Health department employees reached the village by rowing their own boat in the Indravati river
Examination and counseling of pregnant women under the ‘Healthy Woman, Empowered Family’ campaign
Access to health services in Naxal-affected areas
Raipur 21 September 2025/
In Chhattisgarh, when it comes to providing health facilities in the remote areas of Bastar, the first thing that comes to mind is the inaccessible forests and the overflowing Indravati River. It is considered very risky to reach remote villages during the rainy season. Despite this, under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai and the guidance of Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, every health worker of the state is working with the priority of saving people’s lives while keeping their duty paramount.
The expansion of health services in Naxal-affected districts has been a priority of the government. The benefits of quality health facilities are now reaching the general public in areas like Kanker, Bijapur, Sukma and Dantewada. This is the result of the good governance of Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai, which has completely changed the picture of health services in Bastar division.
Health Department Secretary Shri Amit Kataria and Commissioner-cum-Director Dr. Priyanka Shukla are committed to the expansion of health facilities in Chhattisgarh. In this sequence, the statewide “Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar” campaign has ensured access to health services to the most remote areas of Bijapur district. Last Saturday, the health team crossed the overflowing Indravati River by rowing their own boat and set up a camp in village Konde, which is adjacent to Abujhmar. A total of 132 patients were examined in this camp, of whom patients suffering from malaria, cold-cough and skin diseases were prominent. Specifically, complete health check-up, vaccination and counseling were provided to 10 pregnant women. Under maternal health services, women were also provided with detailed information on nutrition, prevention of anemia and safe motherhood. The pace of the campaign has been remarkable in Bijapur district during the last three days. During this period, the health of thousands of people was checked, of which 3,177 cases of high blood pressure were reported. In addition, 2,823 screenings for oral, breast and cervical cancer were done in women and they were provided with necessary counseling. Along with this, 314 pregnant women got the benefit of check-up, vaccination and counseling. Through the camps organized in the remote areas under the campaign, more than 1,200 people have been screened for TB and more than 800 people have also been screened for sickle cell.
These figures are not just numbers, but proof of the resolve under which the state government is ensuring that the access to maternal and child health services is not disrupted even in the remote and inaccessible areas of Bijapur district. This is the reason why health workers are crossing rivers, mountains and forests and providing life-saving services to women and children. This effort of the state government strengthens the idea that “a healthy woman is the cornerstone of an empowered family.” In this direction, the continuous reach of health services is the biggest success of this campaign.
These improvements in the health sector in Bastar division are not only raising the standard of living of the local residents, but also proving that positive change is possible even in the most challenging areas through good governance and dedicated efforts.