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| Wary of Outside Influence, India Limits Foreign Involvement in Health System | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| NEW DELHI — Expressing concern about foreign influence on its policies, India is turning away from a decades-old practice of filling gaps within its health system with consultants hired by foreign aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations. | NEW DELHI — Expressing concern about foreign influence on its policies, India is turning away from a decades-old practice of filling gaps within its health system with consultants hired by foreign aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations. |
| Under the new rules, consultants who have worked within India’s health system for foreign aid agencies for more than three years, a total of around 100 people, will be terminated, said Manoj Jhalani, joint secretary in the Ministry of Health. The roughly 100 who remain will need to be approved by a new screening committee. | Under the new rules, consultants who have worked within India’s health system for foreign aid agencies for more than three years, a total of around 100 people, will be terminated, said Manoj Jhalani, joint secretary in the Ministry of Health. The roughly 100 who remain will need to be approved by a new screening committee. |
| Fifty employees of the National AIDS Control Organization were given notice this month, though supervisors said they hoped to retain them as government employees. | Fifty employees of the National AIDS Control Organization were given notice this month, though supervisors said they hoped to retain them as government employees. |
| Experts warned that if vacancies went unfilled, major health initiatives, like those aimed at fighting the spread of AIDS and tuberculosis, could suffer serious setbacks. | Experts warned that if vacancies went unfilled, major health initiatives, like those aimed at fighting the spread of AIDS and tuberculosis, could suffer serious setbacks. |
| “Every one of these jobs is a necessary one,” said Dr. Bobby John, a specialist in infectious disease and maternal health who previously worked for Global Health Advocates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “These people are doing something the country needs. ” | “Every one of these jobs is a necessary one,” said Dr. Bobby John, a specialist in infectious disease and maternal health who previously worked for Global Health Advocates and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “These people are doing something the country needs. ” |
| He said, “If this is a transition to hiring them on government of India rolls, brilliant.” | He said, “If this is a transition to hiring them on government of India rolls, brilliant.” |
| Beginning in the early 1990s, when its health system was chronically short of funds, India began to employ specialists provided by the World Health Organization, the United States Agency for International Development, Britain’s Department for International Development and the Gates Foundation. | Beginning in the early 1990s, when its health system was chronically short of funds, India began to employ specialists provided by the World Health Organization, the United States Agency for International Development, Britain’s Department for International Development and the Gates Foundation. |
| Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, however, has been wary of nongovernmental organizations, in some cases charging them with acting against the national interest. Last year, the government suspended the registration for Greenpeace and placed the Ford Foundation on a national security watch list for nearly a year, barring it from making grants in India without specific permission. | Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, however, has been wary of nongovernmental organizations, in some cases charging them with acting against the national interest. Last year, the government suspended the registration for Greenpeace and placed the Ford Foundation on a national security watch list for nearly a year, barring it from making grants in India without specific permission. |
| Similar concerns have arisen around the work of foreign-funded consultants in the health system. An article | Similar concerns have arisen around the work of foreign-funded consultants in the health system. An article |
| last year in The Times of India said the practice “raised serious issues of conflict of interest, security and sovereignty.” Dr. Sita Naik, a former official of the Medical Council of India, said the government “has been drawing criticism for some time now that they have been supporting foreign NGOs.” | last year in The Times of India said the practice “raised serious issues of conflict of interest, security and sovereignty.” Dr. Sita Naik, a former official of the Medical Council of India, said the government “has been drawing criticism for some time now that they have been supporting foreign NGOs.” |
| Dr. C.V. Dharma Rao, a top official at the National AIDS Control Organization, whose headquarters is almost entirely staffed by consultants, said that for some workers the practice had led to split loyalties. | Dr. C.V. Dharma Rao, a top official at the National AIDS Control Organization, whose headquarters is almost entirely staffed by consultants, said that for some workers the practice had led to split loyalties. |
| “When yesterday all these consultants met, they were saying ‘Sir, we have lost loyalties with our donor partners, because we kept on arguing for the government of India,’ ” he said. | “When yesterday all these consultants met, they were saying ‘Sir, we have lost loyalties with our donor partners, because we kept on arguing for the government of India,’ ” he said. |
| But others said the consultants rarely waded into delicate policy matters. | But others said the consultants rarely waded into delicate policy matters. |
| Keshav Desiraju, who served as health secretary under the previous, Congress-led government, said they “were doing a lot of detailed work that nobody else had the time to do,” assisting senior bureaucrats who “simply had no time to handle the volume of paperwork.” | Keshav Desiraju, who served as health secretary under the previous, Congress-led government, said they “were doing a lot of detailed work that nobody else had the time to do,” assisting senior bureaucrats who “simply had no time to handle the volume of paperwork.” |
| “To say policy decisions are being influenced is completely far-fetched,” he said. “Decisions are made at a more senior level.” | “To say policy decisions are being influenced is completely far-fetched,” he said. “Decisions are made at a more senior level.” |
| The policy change was first reported by Reuters. | The policy change was first reported by Reuters. |
| A government notice released in December outlined stringent new regulations for foreign-hired consultants. They will be required to sign a confidentiality clause with the Indian government, “will report only to the ministry” and will be barred from sharing any data or information with the foreign agency without specific approval from top Indian bureaucrats. Any foreign-hired consultant must wait for one year before taking another, similar job. And foreign citizens must undergo a security clearance. | A government notice released in December outlined stringent new regulations for foreign-hired consultants. They will be required to sign a confidentiality clause with the Indian government, “will report only to the ministry” and will be barred from sharing any data or information with the foreign agency without specific approval from top Indian bureaucrats. Any foreign-hired consultant must wait for one year before taking another, similar job. And foreign citizens must undergo a security clearance. |
| Mr. Jhalani, of the Ministry of Health, said the aim of the order was to ensure that “no consultant should be permanently replacing a government employee.” Officials from Unicef and the World Health Organization said it was too early to comment on the decision. | Mr. Jhalani, of the Ministry of Health, said the aim of the order was to ensure that “no consultant should be permanently replacing a government employee.” Officials from Unicef and the World Health Organization said it was too early to comment on the decision. |
| A statement from the Gates Foundation offered India’s polio eradication as an example of successful collaboration between the Indian government, NGOs and the private sector. | A statement from the Gates Foundation offered India’s polio eradication as an example of successful collaboration between the Indian government, NGOs and the private sector. |
| “We believe that our role is to provide catalytic support in areas that are aligned with the priorities of the Government of India,” the statement said. | “We believe that our role is to provide catalytic support in areas that are aligned with the priorities of the Government of India,” the statement said. |