Central government's mega plan to achieve health care goals

Nov 25:  The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Anbumani Ramadoss while attending a couple of inaugurating ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala,, let out some of the ambitious programmes of the central government in order to achieve an acceptable standard of good health among general mass of the country.

The minister also gave an indication of the government’s constant effort through the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to deliver standard health care services to all sections of the society covering every corner of rural India. This is the reason that the government is increasing the net public health investment in the 11 th Five Year Plan.

Dr. Ramadoss has also announced to extend the National Mental Health Programme to 14 districts of Kerala from the present seven considering the growing number of mentally feeble patients.

Citing the importance of the NRHM, the health minister aims to improve infrastructure facilities along with the quality of services. He further said that the Centre had already sanctioned Rs. 300 crore for this year’s projects under national rural health mission.

The Minster also talked about Union Government’s plan to launch the National Urban Health Mission addressing issues of the people living in urban and slums with better facilities in city hospitals. Apart from that there is a plan to control cancer and in this regard the government is planning to earmark a Rs. 3000 crore in the 11 th plan. This also includes a Central grant for the development of Regional Cancer Centres, the minister announced.

Speaking on another essential plan dealing with children, Dr. Ramadoss said the upcoming National School Health Programme aims to empower children with timely medical assistance by keeping them healthy thereby improving their over all development. According to the minister, this programme is planned to be launched with private and public partnership. Under this plan government will appoint medical experts, educationists, nutritional specialists and others to screen children for various health problems.

Earlier the ministry had also announced to set up trauma care units along national highways in order to provide medical service to accident victims with super special facilities.

With the above mentioned initiatives the government seems to meet people’s demand of a better access to health care by raising public expenditure. However, it will be interesting to wait and watch how soon the government works on these major health programmes that need specific measures both from state and central government.